Alleged tax evasion: Benue govt seals Ortom’s company

• Denies allegations of political persecution

The Benue State Government has sealed Oracle Business Limited (OBL) and its subsidiaries over alleged tax evasion amounting to N130 million, owed in the past five years.

Addressing journalists on the enforcement exercise in Makurdi, the state capital, Sunday Odagba, the acting executive chairman of the Benue State Revenue Service, said the exercise was aimed at collecting tax revenue from all businesses that owe tax to the state government.

Odagba, who denied allegations of political persecution by the management of Oracles Business Limited, said government was only concerned with improving its revenue profile for the public interest and development of the state.

The company alleged that the said tax liability was just a ploy by the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia.o cease its operations because, upon investigation of the amount involved, the outstanding amount was N38 million, which the company paid in full.

The company also said its business premises were closed because it belonged to the former governor of the state, Samuel Ortom.

But the state tax officials explained that Oracle Business Limited has not paid taxes worth over 130 million naira for five years and no agreement has been reached even after repeated invitations.

The BIRS aAlso sealed were the cases of Jagshu Filling Station and Ubgechi Filling Station which allegedly paid 2.1 million naira in the Makurdi operation headed by Odagba and the Board Secretary/Legal Adviser, Mr. Ushahemba Dekaa. This station was also sealed with an alleged default of 2.1 million naira.

The enforcement followed an order from a Makurdi High Court empowering the Council to enforce the consequences of the failure.

After Oracle Business’ offices were sealed, BIRS’s legal counsel said the company had failed to meet its obligations for more than six years and the Council had no choice but to use the big stick.