Fresh facts have emerged on how Dangote Cement Plc Obajana forged its tax receip to deceive Kogi State Government.
The Internal Revenue Service of the state, Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS) has accused the company of forging its tax receipt.
The acting Chairman of KGIRS, Salisu Enehe, disclosed this on Monday during the ongoing investigative hearing by the State House of Assembly ad hoc Committee on revenue at the Assembly Complex in Lokoja.
Enehe was responding to the claim by the committee that the company had paid over 14 billion tax to the Agency betweeny 2016 till date.
According to the state revenue boss, most of the figures the company claimed to have paid are totally incorrect, urging the company to check its record.
He said despite the billions of naira that company is making from the state monthly, it has failed to pay taxes that are due the state and Lokoja Local Government Area.
Enehe said instead of doing the needful, the Dangote company approached the court to stale payment of taxes that are legally passed by the state assembly and assented to by the governor.
He noted that the lack of tax payment has slowed down the development of the state.
Also speaking, the Commissioner of Commerce and Industry, Gabriel Olofu, said Dangote company has refused to pay for business premises in the last two years.
Olusegun Ogunbanjo, the Head of Accounts of the Company told the committee that the company had paid N14billion tax from 2016 till date.
Contrary to how it’s being viewed, the Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly, Matthew Kolawole has said that the house is not out to witch-hunt Dangote Cement. Kolawole explained further that following the not-too-impressive IGR generation in Kogi State, the State Assembly set up an Ad -hoc committee to investigate the state’s revenue drive.
He stated that the House Ad-hoc Committee was expected to look into to the establishment of the mining companies in Kogi State, noting that this steps would enable the House to take position on the state’s internally generated revenue.
Meanwhile no representatives of the invited companies were present at the Kogi State House of Assembly, while all agencies invited were told to come back next week.
He added that Kogi State cannot remain the same again, noting that this was because the House want to know how much revenue had been accrued to the state, from the mining companies.
“If you look at what is moving out of Kogi State every day, I am sure you will agree with that the state should not be complaining of not having money.“I personally went on oversight function about 10 day ago. With what I saw, I almost shed tears for my dear state.
If you know what we are missing.“But we blessed God for giving us the resources. If you are tapping our resources give what is due to us. We are not witch-hunting anyone. We are not saying you should not come to the state to invest. We want many investors as many as possible, but we must do the right thing at the right time.
“For example Dangote Cement Company started as Obajana Cement Factory. Kogi State is interested to know at what point the company transformed to Dangote Cement Company. We want to know the share capital of Kogi State in the company and what has been the benefits of the state in that company,” he added.
The Speaker stressed that although this was not peculiar to Dangote alone, saying other registered mining companies such as Manga Yola and others in the industry the Kogi State, were also summoned.
“If you go to Kogi East for example, you will see over 100 trailers loaded with coal moving out of Kogi State every day. On whose instructions? Are they paying their dues? What we are saying is that we are not against anybody coming to invest in the state. But let the right things be done at the right time.“Whatever belongs to Kogi give it to the state and continue your business,” he posited.
Kolawole ordered the Chairman of House Ad-hoc committee on IGR ,Umar Tanimu to write another letter re-inviting Dangote Cement Company and others within next one week as the committee reconvenes for meeting .
