Benue Government Shuts Down Ex-Governor Ortom’s Business

Ex-Gov Samuel Ortom’s company has been sealed by the Benue government amid reports of regulatory issues. Speculations arise over the closure.

Oracle Business Limited, a company allegedly belonging to former Governor Samuel Ortom, has had its premises sealed by the Benue State Board of Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) as it takes strong measures against tax evasion.

According to reports, the measure was taken due to an alleged failure to pay taxes totaling N93.5 million.

Over the weekend, Jagshu Filling Station and Ubgechi Filling Station were shut down as part of a jointly executed operation in Makurdi. Mr. Sunday Odagba, the Acting Chairman of BIRS, and Mr.Ushahemba Dekaa who serves as both Board Secretary and Legal Adviser coordinated the move after discovering that each business purportedly defaulted on N2.1 million worth transactions.

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The BIRS has been granted the authorization to take action on tax defaults by a High Court in Makurdi, leading to this enforcement measure.

Despite the Board’s repeated attempts to resolve the issue in a friendly manner, Mr. Dekaa clarified that Oracle Business had disregarded its tax responsibilities for more than six years.

“For quite some time, we have been keeping an eye on the tax status of the company,” commented Mr. Dekaa. “Despite repeated discussions and efforts to persuade them towards adherence, they persistently avoided fulfilling their obligations. Given such prolonged non-payment behavior, it was essential for us to implement the Court Order.”

It was emphasized by Mr. Dekaa that the overall amount of tax owed by Oracle Business is approximately N100 million.

The Acting Executive Chairman mentioned that despite personal intervention, they had to resort to legal action as there was no compliance from them in paying their taxes.

Contrary to the claim, Chris Omiyi who is the Group Managing Director of Oracle Business disputed it and argued that after being evaluated for N138 million, their tax consultant managed to decrease this value significantly down to N38 million.

He contended that although they were willing to resolve the N38 million, a disputed amount of N15 million remained unsettled because administrative matters at BIRS had not been resolved.

Mr. Odagba emphasized that the sole reason for sealing the companies was their non-compliance with tax responsibilities, in reply to the query.

He stated that demand notices were issued, but no objections or payments were received. He pointed out that according to the law, payment must be made promptly or a formal objection lodged within 30 days. Their failure to comply with these requirements resulted in enforcement actions being taken against them.

Mr. Odagba emphasized that the operation had no political agenda and was solely focused on tax compliance. He stated, “Our aim is to enforce tax compliance in other regions such as Gboko and Otukpo. We urge all individuals who have defaulted on their taxes to promptly settle their obligations.”