COMPANIES OWE FG OVER N800 M IN PORT HARCOURT

Nigeria, April 28, 2016 – The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), has embarked on a vigorous debt collection drive aimed at getting companies indebted to the federal government to pay up their debts.

State Coordinator of Edo, Delta and Rivers States, Mr. Joel Onowhakpo Thomas, told journalists before the commencement of the operation, in Port Harcourt, today, that the debt revenue drive is a nationwide operation ordered by the Chairman of the FIRS, Mr. Babatunde Fowler, in compliance with the directive of President Mohammadu Buhari, to ensure that all funds belonging to the government were retrieved and paid into the government account in Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

The Rivers State operation was segmented into five task forces. The leader of the operation led by Deputy Director, Chief Tunde Eniolorunda , sealed up O. K. ISOKRIARI AND SONS NIG LTD, engaged in Building and Civil Engineering contracts, at Plot 83, Rivoc Road, Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout, Port Harcourt.

The company was sealed up at 11.50am, with a warning that the company should not open for business until it pays into the FIRS the sum of N154, 105, 954.96m.

General Manager, Operations, Onimisi Ehinlaiye, who received the FIRS Task force, said the managing director was not around.The armed mobile policemen on duty had initially attempted to prevent the task force from entering the premises but buckled when they realised the presence of senior police officers in the task force. The leader of the mobile police team guiding the premises, a sergeant, later went inside to intimate a manager that a task force from the FIRS accompanied by mobile policemen want to interact with the managing director of the company.

When Ehinlaiye refused to allow the task force to inspect the offices of the company, Chief Eniolorunda, informed him that he was only being polite as was expected of a senior civil servant. He declared: “We have he right to go in and inspect any office we so desire. In fact, you are under arrest since you are the most senior officer on duty. Your boss will come to our office to see you”.

“Chief Eniorunda explained: “We have a right to seal up your company. We also have the right to take possession of your office complex; obtain a court order to enable us take full possession, sell it and recover our money. If we can do that to NEPA which is owned by the government, why can’t we do it to a private company? All we want is the money that your company is owing the federal government”.

Homan Engineeting Company Limited, at Plot 273, Trans-Amadi Layout, port Harcourt is indebted to the FIRS to the tune of N65,855,693.31m. Members of he task force were reliably informed that the company wound up three years ago. A signpost indicating that a warehouse was available for lease was seen at the front of the distressed company.

Pelegrina Catering and Hotel Services at Plot 228, Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout, another company indebted to FIRS was said to have left to set up shop at Ekeme, in Eleme Petrochemical Company, in Eleme Local Government Area, Rivers State. However, the sprawling complex including a warehouse which was advertised for lease was sealed up by the task force, at 1.23pm.