‘Oyo Govt owes us over N400m for 3yrs, yet seals our office for tax evasion’ – IBDEC, as blackout looms in Ibadan
Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has berated the Oyo Government action of sealing its office in the state capital, while the state still owes a backlog of unpaid three years bill for power supply amounting to over N400 million.
Oyo Government had directed its Revenue Service to seal the office of the IBEDC over allegations of tax evasion, Wednesday.
The action now threatens power blackout for Ibadan residents, in the state capital.
However, the IBDEC, while responding to the action of the state government, in a statement signed by its Chief Operating Officer, John Ayodele, Wednesday, alleged that the State Government also owes the distribution company (DisCo) for power consumed amounting to N450 million for three years of supply.
According to IBEDC, it had made efforts to get outstanding paid initiated several engagements through correspondences and physical meetings, but all these efforts yielded no result.
“The Oyo State Government on Wednesday, commenced the sealing of our offices within the state over some suddenly contrived debts labelled revenue bills and personal income without due notification.
“No business in this country can run successfully with such a huge outstanding, the power we distribute to customers must be accounted for and paid for, we have no choice but to disconnect the Oyo State Secretariat.
“So it is worrisome to see that the government has sealed off our offices with this underhand and arm twisting tactics, instead of paying the debt owed. This was not done in good faith and it would have a damaging effect on the business and service delivery to our customers,” the company said.
The DisCo, however, urged the state Governor Seyi Makinde ‘to resolve the issue in the interest of all concerned as the closure of the IBEDC office would further worsen the power challenge on residents and commercial activities within the state.’
