By  Chidi Nkwopara

 OWERRI—Imo State branch of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, is again on collision course with the state government, for allegedly “refusing to remit the pay as you earn, PAYE, deducted from its staff over the years.”

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Revenue Generation, Mobilization and Accounts Monitoring, Deacon Kierian Onwuzuruike, stated this at a press conference in Owerri.

Onwuzuruike said that the CBN owed over N300 million between 2002 and 2008 to the state, pointing out that government was forced to seal up the establishment last year,  when all efforts made to get them remit the money failed.

“The CBN paid only N40 million before we unchained its gates. It is sad to note that despite the action government took against the CBN branch, the management has failed, neglected or refused to remit even a kobo out of the PAYE deductions it made in 2009,” Onwuzuruike said.

He insisted that there was no way CBN or any other corporate body would deduct PAYE from staff and refuse to remit same to the State Board of Internal Revenue, BIR, stressing that no establishment is above the laws of the land.

“We will be more aggressive in collecting all monies due to government this year. We will not hesitate to seal defaulting companies. We will also ensure that they will not only deduct appropriate taxes but remit it timely to BIR,” Onwuzuruike said.