By Daniel Tyokua
The stage appears set for a showdown over revenue collection in Abuja Municipal Area council (AMAC) by the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS).
This came as the chairman Abuja Municipal Area Council, Christopher Maikalangu warned FCT-IRS to steer clear of demanding taxes from business operators in the council.
Maikalangu said the council will continue to resist attempts by the FCT-IRS to collect revenue that belong to AMAC.
Briefing journalists at the council on Tuesday, Maikalangu who spoke through the Supervisory Councilor for special duties, Mr Emmanuel Inyang, said that AMAC has not signed any agreement with FCT-IRS with regards to revenue collection.
He noted that, even at a recent townhall meeting organized by FCT-IRS for the Six Area Councils in the FCT, with the aim of revenue harmonisation, the Permanent Secretary of the FCT, Olusade Adesola, said he was the driver of revenue harmonisation, but left the meeting halfway and was unable to answer questions, resulting to the inability to reach any consensus.
The AMAC chairman said that FCT IRS was harassing its officials and FCT residents with the aim of them paying the same taxes they had already paid to AMAC, thereby opening ways to double taxation.
He said that the court had already ruled that AMAC should not pass over the role of revenue collection to a third party, hence the need for FCT IRS to explain from where it derived its powers to be collecting revenue on behalf of AMAC.
Maikalangu explained that FCT-IRS is preparing way for anarchy and a breakdown of law and order by harassing AMAC residents for revenue, including the “Park and Pay” policy that is the duty of AMAC.
The Council Chairman, therefore, urged Tinubu and concerned authorities to, as a matter of urgency, call the FCT IRS to order before it plunges AMAC and the FCT into anarchy by harassing residents to pay taxes they had already paid to AMAC, even as far back as 2010.
Maikalangu said that the council remains law abiding and hence will not take laws into its hands, but warned that the council will not sit idly and watch FCT IRS engage in illegalities such as collecting revenue meant for AMAC.
Maikalangu advised residents not to pay revenue to agents purporting to be FCT IRS, otherwise they will pay double as only revenue paid into AMAC account will be acceptable.
In the same breath, Maikalangu urged AMAC residents not to pay revenue to FCT IRS, but to challenge any official from the Service to go to court for an order that will explain how it came about collecting revenue for AMAC.
“AMAC hasn’t signed any agreement with FCT IRS with regards to revenue collection in the council. Therefore, the recent moves by FCT-IRS to collect revenue from tax payers in AMAC is an affront capable of creating anarchy.
“Imagine the FCT IRS going to an organization to demand N3.5m tax, some of whom had already paid tax to AMAC. So, it is worrisome that our tax payers are being asked to pay again.
“As you are aware, there is a court judgment barring AMAC Chairman from giving out the powers to revenue collection to any other party. If FCT -IRS wants to collect money for AMAC, it should go to the National Assembly for them to change the constitution because the constitution has mandated AMAC to be collecting revenue.
“I want to re-emphasize that AMAC has not signed any agreement with FCT IRS for the purpose of revenue collection in the council. Though some people have been making reference that AMAC Chairman signed an agreement in Akure, I want to place it on record that there is nothing of such. What the AMAC chairman signed was a communique he was part of during a conference at Akure. It was a communique, not an agreement. People should be able to know the difference.”
