The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) today expressed dismay over the seal off of its headquarters in Port Harcourt by officials of the Rivers State Internal Revenue Service (RIRS).
The Special Assistant on Media to the Commission’s Chairman, Chijioke Amu-Nnadi, said the Commission was surprised by the development which happened after the Commission had already begun paying the Revenue Service the arrears of tax due to the agency.
He explained: “About two weeks ago, the Commission met with the tax enforcement team and started negotiations to resolve all outstanding issues. We understand that there is a court order. But it’s important for us to state that the Commission, as a responsible corporate organisation, had begun to attend to all obligations as agreed.
“Last week, the Commission paid the first tranche. They will receive the next tranche this week. This is a sign of goodwill and commitment on the side of the Commission to meet these obligations”, Amu-Nnadi added,
He lamented the blocking of the premises of the Commission by the RIRS officials, saying that the action is an unnecessary embarrassment which does not reciprocate the Commission’s goodwill.
According to him, it is very surprising that “even though we have begun paying these arrears dating back to 2013, which the current board inherited, we still have to deal with this little impasse. And mind you, over the past two years, the current Board has paid all the Commission’s tax obligations as at when due.”
However, the RIRS Director who led the enforcement team, Mr. Manson Endeboh, said that the tax agency sealed the gates of the NDDC headquarters for withholding tax indebtedness to the Rivers State Government.
