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Rivers agency pickets NDDC office over alleged tax evasion

By Ann Godwin, Port Harcourt
27 April 2018   |   4:20 am
Rivers State Internal Revenue Service (RIRS) yesterday blocked the head office of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Port Harcourt over tax evasion.

Tax

Rivers State Internal Revenue Service (RIRS) yesterday blocked the head office of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Port Harcourt over tax evasion.

The Executive Chairman of the agency, Mr. Adoage Norteh, disclosed that the commission owed an accumulated amount of over N600 million.

He expressed concern that the tax evasion had been since 2013, and condemned the commission’s failure to respond to the RIRS’ entreaties to pay the withheld taxes.

He threatened that the agency would seal the NNDC complex completely, if it fails to offset the tax within the agreed period by both parties.

He said the picketing had nothing to do with politics, adding that it however decided to remove the blockages following appeals by some individuals.

He explained that its action was on the premise that the tax would be paid at a stipulated time.

Norteh said: “The tax we are talking about dates back to 2013. We are asking that it pays the money, unless the commission is claiming that the reason they didn’t pay was political, which I can’t explain.”

He added that tax has no party card or logo. A lot of tax heads are just ordinary Nigerians who have no political affiliation.

The chairman expressed worry that political motive is read to every action taken by government agencies.

He said: “We did not seal the place, but only picketed it. But, if they don’t respond on time, we would seal it completely.

“We had pulled out yesterday, after the intervention of some persons within the promise who promised that the commission would pay.”

He explained: “NDDC is owing the Rivers State government withholding tax; which is the taxes that they withheld from vendors.

“There are individual vendors and enterprise. But, the ones for the Limited Liability Company go to the Federal Inland Revenue Service.”

When the NDDC Head of Corporate Affairs, Ibitoye Abosede was contacted, he said the matter had been resolved.

He disclosed that normalcy has since returned to the commission’s activities.

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