Fraud, Underhandedness Rocks Nasarawa Revenue Board As Chairman, Other Officials Allegedly Print Fake Receipts To Defraud Nasarawa Government-Investigation

Rabiu Omaku

A staff of the Nasarawa State Board of Internal Revenue Board who pleaded anonymity has accused the Nasarawa State Board of Internal Revenue of conniving with illegal tax collectors to defraud the state of its share of percentage on personal income tax being deducted.

Feelers who spoke with universalreporters247.com alleged that issuing of counterfeit receipt has now become the order of the day in Karu axis, adding that the state government is losing chunk amount of money as revenue as the generated revenue goes into the pockets of individuals.

An insider when asked why the delay in asking financial institutions to present documents to every bank operating in the state, it was alleged that some years back financial institutions were giving percentage to the head of the board, Usman Okposhi as the state government operates at a loss.

In an interview with Newsmen in Lafia an insider reacting to the recent sealing of all branches of First City Monument Bank, Diamond Bank and Unity Bank in the state said the banks are paying just few percent and not the actual money to those at the echelon of affairs in the revenue board.

Impeccable sources from selected banks that reacted over the recent exercise, wandered why it took the board many years to ask financial houses and banks operating in the state of details of customer’s on Personal Income Tax.

“Is shocking that the statement credited to the Chairman of the board that since 1999, the board has not ask for this information until now and with this one will begin to wander where the officials of the board were all this while”.

“This could mean that so many waters must have passed under the bridge”.

A top management staff of one of the affected bank challenged the board to come out with facts and figures on remittance from commercial banks and other taxpaying institutions in the state.

It would be recalled that as at the last count, the board had sealed all branches of First City Monument Bank and Diamond on Sept 11 while last week it sealed Unity banks operating in the stat, also the sealing of all branches of Unity Bank in the state triggered  accusation against the board of connivance.

The board Chairman Usman Okposhi on September 11, 2017 said the banks were sealed for not allowing the board’s consultant to access its documents to analyst information on personal income tax.

When contacted on the allegations, Chairman of the board Usman Okposhi declined comment but said they are ready to counter any publication concerning the board.

However branch managers of the affected banks declined comments instead directed universalreporters247.com to their various head offices.

Speaking on remittances of Pay As You Earned deducted from the monthly salary of workers, a source from the board said over N400 million was realized from PAYE while monthly collection from Olam Farms Nigeria Limited stands at about N200million monthly excluding the monthly generations from other sources.

Unofficial Information uncovered that the state Revenue board generated over N950million from January 2017 to August 2017.

Feelers from the board declined comment over the statutory 10 percent of IGR remitted to the local government areas, it was revealed that no single local government has ever benefited from this gesture which is the right of the local government areas in the state since 2011.