In a swift response to the sealing of its Ibadan office over non-payment of tax by the Oyo state government, the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC has appealed to the state government to temper justice with mercy.
The state government through the State’s Board of Internal Revenue, had on Wednesday, sealed the headquarters and few other offices of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC, in respect of a N400m tax default and some other revenue bills.
The IBEDC Headquarters, located at Ring Road, Ibadan, was the first to be sealed by officials of the Revenue Service, followed by the office at Mobil, off Ring Road and other offices at Dugbe, Ojoo-Iwo Road Express and Monatan.
According to reports, the decision to seal the offices was consequent upon the receipt of a “distraining order” of the State High Court presided over by Justice O. M. Olagunju.
Though the court affirmed that the sum of N400,546,111,11 was outstanding, it agreed that payment for the sum of N226,756,000.41k was due.
The sum represents outstanding tax liability of the DISCO for the year 2021, which has become “final and conclusive.”
Meanwhile, IBEDC is equally owing other taxes including harmonised bills, infrastructure bills, tax audit bills and Signage bills owed in the last two years.
The court said: “Accordingly, I hereby issue a warrant in favour of the officers of the applicant (Oyo State Government) named in the schedule to this application authorising one or all of the named officers to distrain upon any land, premises or places of which the respondent is the owner particularly the respondents head office at Ring Road and Dugbe Ibadan, for the purpose of enforcing payment of taxes in the sum of N226,756,000.41k only representing its outstanding tax liability for the year 2021 of assessment which has become final and conclusive.”
It was, however, gathered that the IBEDC has failed to pay any tax to the state government despite the fact that it has been receiving a monthly payment of N15 million from Oyo state government.
Reacting to the closure, IBEDC said the issue of revenue bills and personal income arising now is quite suspicious describing the action of the Oyo state government as retaliatory and illegal.
According to IBEDC Chief Operating Officer, Engr. Ayodele; the company as part of efforts to get the outstanding paid, initiated several engagements through correspondences and physical meetings, but all these efforts yielded no result.
The IBEDC has therefore appealed to the State Governor, his Excellency Engr. ‘Seyi Makinde to look into the matter in the interest of all concerned, saying that the action would further exacerbate the power challenges and pressure on residents and commercial activities within the state.
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