N26bn tax: Workers stranded as FIRS seals NDDC headquarters in Rivers 

EMPLOYEES of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) were stranded yesterday following the sealing of the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

It was gathered that the action was taken because of the failure of the NDDC to remit about N26bn arrears of taxes it owed FIRS.

A source from the commission, who spoke in confidence, said the commission was also owing the Rivers State Revenue Service billions of naira, adding that the Rivers State Government might come for their money after the actions of the FIRS.

It was observed yesterday that the main gate to the headquarters and adjoining walls had over nine stickers with the inscription: “Sealed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service.”

A resident of the area who identified himself as Peter said the headquarters was sealed on Thursday.

He said workers, after waiting in vain to gain entry into the facility, went back home.

He said: “We saw this seal on Thursday morning when the NDDC workers were coming to work. The situation caused confusion. Many workers left while some waited around.

“Some workers still came to work today but the gate was still sealed. To be honest with you, I don’t know why a Federal Government agency would seal off another federal agency.”

A non-governmental and advocacy organisation, Citizen Quests for Truth Initiative, slammed the FIRS, saying it planned to scuttle the activities of the NDDC.

The group in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Francis Udoka Ndimkoha, said it appeared there were undercurrents to ensure that the NDDC was incapacitated to discharge its statutory duties.

“If it is not the issue of threats from some segments of the youths, it is that of some stakeholders trying to hoodwink the populace into swallowing the bait that the commission lacks good leadership.

“Just coming out from what seemed a furnace of trepidations occasioned by threats of possible total breakdown of law and order in the region, the commission is yet again encased in what observers may describe as a thorny tax issue with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).”

NDDC’s Director, Corporate Affairs, Dr. Ibitoye Abosede, said the development followed a gap in communication between the NDDC and the new management of FIRS.

He said: “It is an ongoing thing. In 2018, this same happened. It is unremitted withholding tax for some years up to 2013. It is not a recent thing. We have done reconciliation and they came with that amount.

“In 2018, when they sealed the place, we raised an agreement with them to seek ways to deduct at source from what the government is owing us so that we knock it off.

“I remembered that in 2018, we paid N1.5bn, but since that 2018, we haven’t had a board and it hampered the efforts of deducting it at source. We don’t have regular subvention from the federal government.

“Efforts are ongoing to make sure the issues are resolved. We have a new chairman in FIRS and we are reaching out to him to let him understand our previous agreement.”