The attention of the EIRS has been drawn to a facebook video made by the owner of Mega Touch of Klass Hotel and Suites and wish to categorically state that it is simply a watery attempt to cloak non-compliance with the provisions of the Tax Laws in controversy by throwing tantrums and making spurious allegations.
The facts are, the Service (Edo State Internal Revenue Service) obtained an enrolment order from the State High Court on January 15, 2019 to distrain land, premises or place of business belonging to the owner of Mega Touch of Klass Hotel and Suites. However, our mandate is to administer taxes with a human face, so we tried to engage the tax payer in question to give room for a staggered more convenient payment schedule over a 9 month period which has now lapsed.
Taxation is based on economic activities so it is obvious that he does not intend to wilfully settle this obligation and needs some encouragement. We run an automated revenue service and our system has now red-flagged this among others for final enforcement and recovery. So why are others not on air? Tax laws do not recognise celebrity tax payers (assuming he were one). Automation does not give room for exceptions. No one is above the law and that is what this is about.
The EIRS continues to seek ways to constructively engage tax payers and wish to express our appreciation to all tax payers with whose resources the state is being developed. And plead with those yet to comply to quickly do so to avoid business disruptions this yuletide.
So we advise Mr. Osakpamwan Eriyo to walk into any bank of his choosing or use any of our electronic settlement platforms to clear his outstanding tax liability to avoid continued shut-down of his business rather than attempt to gain cheap political airtime from a completely unrelated matter.