By: Tolulope Oluwole
Woda Quarry Company, Ore in Odigbo Local government area of Ondo State has finally been shut down by officials of the State Internal Revenue Service (ODIRS) in line with a Court order.
During the exercise monitored by newsmen, it was observed that all the activities going on in the company were stopped, including locking up of offices and the machines.
It would be recalled that three months some ODIRS officials were assualted while carrying out an enforcement exercise at Woda Quarry Company, Ore in Odigbo Local government area of Ondo State in line with an order from the Ondo State High court headed by Hon. Justice Williams Akintoroye.
Barrister Gregory Oyetan Afuwape, a legal officer in the Ondo state Ministry of Justice, working with Ondo State Internal Revenue Service (ODIRS) while carrying out another enforcement yesterday at the same company, noted that the enforcement is dated back to 18th of May, 2022 when officials secured an order from Ondo State High court, presided by the Chief Judge, Hon. Chief Justice Williams Akintoroye.
Afuwape said, “He (CJ) gave us an order to seal up this place for defaulting in tax payment. Ondo state government doesn’t allow failure in payment of tax. We had served several notices to them, they prevented our officers from coming in, they embarrassed our officers, they intimidated them with guns.
“The last time, we were here to inform them about the enforcement, they equipped their military personnel to shoot at us. Today (thursday) now, we’re fully mobilized to come here to shut down the activities here”, he said.
“Ondo State government is not taking it lightly with anyone who is owning tax liability in the state. We need this tax to run the activities of the government, the government need tax to construct roads, build hospitals, schools and other infrastructural projects for the people in the state”, he said.
Afuwape added that the company is owning about two hundred and seventeen million naira (N217,000,000) and has not paid anything or made any attempt to pay.
