WORRIED by the growing cases of tax default, Osun State government, on Thursday gave a marching orders to the relevant agencies of government to ‘use all necessary means’ including total shutdown, to collect the backlog of taxes of more than N4.7 billion owed the state by Federal Government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), most especially education institutions, operating in the state.

This was contained in a statement issued by media adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Mr Sola Fasure, a copy of which was made available to Tribune Online in Osogbo, the state capital. After the State Executive Council meeting held at the Executive Council Chamber, Office of the Governor, State Secretariat, Osogbo.‎

The development was part of the decisions taken on Wednesday during the State Executive Council meeting Aregbesola held with his commissioners and other top government functionaries at Bola Ige House, where the Governor’s Office is located.

According to the statement, “the directive was given to Osun State Inland Revenue Service (OIRS) to bring the full weight of the law to bear on culpable Federal agencies operating in the state and are owing the government taxes.‎ The Council expressed dismay at the agencies’ intransigence at paying tax as and when due, saying no effort would henceforth be spared in collecting every kobo of government from those owing past and current taxes”.

“The decision of the Council came after deliberating on the report that Federal agencies situated in Osun, especially educational institutions, for several years held back more than N4.7 billion taxes due to the state. The Council then directed ‎all the relevant government agencies to use all necessary means, including shutting down such defaulting institutions”.

The statement reads in part ‘Council received the report of Federal Government agencies, especially educational institutions, operating in the state owing the state government backlog of taxes running to billions of naira. The established tax liability alone is N4.2 billion while current liability is N524 million, totalling N4.7 billion”.

“This huge sum is needed by the government to meet critical obligations. Council asked these institutions to pay what they are owing immediately and directed all the relevant government agencies to use all necessary means, including shutting them down, to collect what is being owed the government from them”.

“‎The statement also condemned in its totality the heinous activities of game hunters who set a bush on fire in order to trap the animal. This often leads to burning of crops and economic trees. The council warned those who engage in this acts to desist and directed law enforcement agencies to put an end to this by enforcing relevant laws”.

“The activities of game hunters and others that set the bush on fire, thereby burning farms, crops and other valuables, have come to the attention of Council and have been roundly condemned. Those engaged in this economic sabotage acts are urged to desist forthwith as law enforcement agencies have been directed to bring culprits to book”.