Francis Sadhere
The Delta State Board of Internal Revenue (DBIR) has sealed up the premises of three defaulting companies who owed the state government over seven hundred million naira.
The three affected companies were Bruz Otus Nigeria Limited, Ken Sampson Limited and Legacy Suit and Hotel all located in Uvwie Local Government Area of the State.
Bruz Otus Nigeria Limited is indebted to the tune of Six Hundred and eighty nine million, five hundred and thirty seven thousand, three hundred and fifty five naira, twenty kobo (N689 537,355.20k), while Ken Sampson Limited is indebted to the total sum of thirty six million, thirty eight thousand and one hundred naira and Legacy Suite and Hotel is owing six million naira.Apart from sealing up the premises of the affected companies and hotel, DBIR staff led by top officials of the board and assisted by a team of armed Mobil Policemen and Officials from Warri High Court also confiscated some movable properties.
Speaking to newsmen after the exercise, the legal Aide to the Executive Chairman of the DBIR Barrister Clark Ekpebe said they decided to seal up the premises of tax invaders after they had been served several court notices which they failed to honour.
Barrister Ekpede urged Deltans to be tax conscious, stating that it was the civic responsibility of every citizen to pay tax.
Ekpede stated that the state government’s drive christened “Delta Beyond Oil” was to be driven by internally generated revenue, as the era of solely depending on oil was gone.
“We are by this enforcement telling the public to pay their tax. It is their civic responsibility to pay tax because it is from the money from the tax the government develops the state,” he added.
He said; “Good enough, our amiable governor has envisioned Delta Beyond Oil. We are no longer depending on oil revenue from the federal government. If you are conversant with what is going on in Nigeria today, most of the states cannot pay salaries because they are solely dependent on the revenue from the centre. We could help ourselves by paying our taxes.”
Although, at the premises of Legacy Suit and Hotel, a source told newsmen that it was no longer owing the board as the management of the hotel had upset the bills.
