Ogun goes tough on tax evasion, moves to seal up 20 firms over N120m

Apparently disturbed by illegal actions of 20 firms who allegedly defaulted in tax remittance to government’s coffers through Ogun State Internal Revenue Service (OGIRS), the state has served 22 court processes on erring 20 outfits that evaded tax payment between 2003 and 2012, running into N120 million.

According to Olumide Ayeni, attorney-general and commissioner for justice, the sum of between N100 million and N120 million was to be collected from the 20 tax defaulters within the period under review by the state government through OGIRS, which is to be remitted to the coffers of the state government as revenue, but not paid.

Ayeni said this while speaking with newsmen after filing the application for an Order of Court to levy distress on properties of tax defaulters at the Registry of the High Court, Isabo, Abeokuta, on Monday, saying it was high time investors and entrepreneurs operating in the state remitted taxes and carried out corporate social responsibility promptly.

Accompanied by the director, Legislative Drafting, Ministry of Justice, Olusegun Olaotan, and the head, Legal Team, OGIRS, Temidayo Sokunbi, the attorney-general of the state described the step taken by government as a right step and clear interpretation of the rule of law in action.

He stated that the decision to serve the law enforcement process on the tax evaders was aimed at ensuring that the partnership between the governed and government was continually enhanced for the development of the state.

“These steps taken by the state government can be put as the rule of law in action towards enforcing legal manner in a constitutionally-recognised way of revenue enforcement in the state. So, what we have come to do is to bring in the first batch of law enforcement processes against some 20 outfits in the first instance and hoping to achieve at least between N100 million and N120 million,” he said.

The commissioner however charged the people to continue to be law-abiding and should endeavour to meet their obligations, promising that Governor Ibikunle Amosun-led administration was committed to ensuring that he fulfilled his electioneering promises to the people.