By Emma Ujah
ABUJA — Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Central Bank (CBN), Corporate Affairs Commission and the National Assembly owe the Federal Fovernment the sum of N72 billion in unpaid taxes.
The management of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has, therefore, constituted teams which have commenced a tax revenue drive among the organisations with a view to enforcing compliance.
Director of FCT/Special Tax Office, Abuja, Peter Olayemi, who led one of the teams told newsmen that the tax enforcement had become imperative owing to the uncooperative posture of many defaulting MDAs.
He regretted that such MDAs deducted various taxes such as Personal Income Tax, Withholding Tax and Value Added Tax but refused to remit the proceeds to the government through the FIRS.
According to Olayemi, “the FIRS would no longer allow MDAs to deduct tax from staff, contractors, and other service providers and then retain such money for their use, contrary to the provisions of the tax laws.”
The team that visited the NNPC secured a pledge that the oil corporation would commence payment of its debt of N200 million at the end of this month.
Similarly, the Corporate Affairs Commission promised to pay an initial N50 million of the N303 million it owed and to stagger the balance the coming months.
Mrs. Camilla Chuta, who led the team to National Assembly, Nigeria Universities Commission and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development disclosed that the management of the National Assembly was owing N306 million made up of withholding tax — N22.43 million, Value Added Tax — N941,259 and Pay As You Earn, N188 million.
National Assembly officials promised to meet with officials of the FIRS for final reconciliation before effecting payment.
The team also visited the Nigeria Universities Commission (NUC) which owes over N513 million made up of Withholding Tax— N253 million, Value Added Tax — N97 million and PAYE — N163 million.
There are IYC and MEND members and IYC and MEND members. Some of those who claim to be IYC and MEND members are briefless, rag tagged and Abuja based. Some of them have compromised themselves and they have lost credibility, with the struggle for fairness and justice in the Niger Delta. Some of them are the backers and collaborators of the criminal elements, giving very bad names, to the real struggle for fairness and justice in the Niger Delta. Some of them have made lot of blood money, at the very expence of the people of the Niger Delta. Some of them have made a lot of money, by collaborating with illegal bunkeres or enguaging in it themselves. Some of them are, in the pay role of the corrupt and indicted ex governors from the Niger Delta. Can they tell the people of the Niger Delta, how they sustain their high and lavish life style? These people are canker worms of iniquity and they speak for nobody but themselves. Most of them have no constituencies and no bases in the Niger Delta. They are the Abuja and news paper freedom fighters. They only tell the government, what the government wants to hear and feed the government with a lot of boloney or rubbish. These people con the government and the people of the Niger Delta. The government and The President should look at the report of Amnesty International on Niger Delta, address, rectify and impliment in its enteity, the basic issues and problems raised in the reports. The reports say that, the Niger Delta is criminally neglected by all governments and operating Oil companies in the Niger Delta. As a result of this criminal neglect, the people of the Niger Delta are dieing very prematuredly because of the environmental polution, that their lands and waters have been destroyed by the oil companies and as a result the people can not farm or fish, as the people of the Niger Delta are basically farmers and fishermen and women and that all governments are party to this criminal neglect and destruction. That what is happenning in the Niger Delta is a crime against humanity. These corrupt and indicted ex governors who were almost impecunious, jobless and hatchet men to the corrupt ex military persons, before they were selected as governors, now live lavishly as if they own the World bank. If the government fails to massively develope the Niger Delta and create a lot of well paying jobs, for the teaming masses of unemployed able bodied youths, there will be no peace in the Niger Delta. If the government thinks that, they can mask the problems, by paying off a few of selfish Niger Delta leaders, then the government is not seriour and they are playing with fire. If the situation is allowed to continue, there will come one day, when no company will want to do business, in the Niger Delta and not one barrel of crude oil or a litre of gas can be produced. If we have this senario, the government will be completely broke and will run out of money. The government as a matter of fact for its survival, must positiveiy investment for the future and proterity of nigeria,by using a grate part of its external reserve and the excess crude money to immediately develope the Niger Delta. Any company that wants to do business in the Niger Delta, must be made to plough back, some of their profits in the developement of the Niger Delta. Time is running out.