Kogi groans as telecoms , Govt fight dirty over revenue.
Residents of kogi state have in the past two weeks persistently experiencing acute network failure owing to revenue imbroglio between the state government and telecommunication service providers over alleged revenue leakages.
The revenue war has grounded businesses, paralyzed socio economic activities in the State.
Many Businesses are counting losses running in millions of naira with social activities and relationships badly affected.
It will be recalled that it is running into a month that citizens in the city capital and environs, have been experiencing lack of network for their activities.
For now most banks and other businesses can hardly operate. Residents are stranded as they cannot make withdrawals or pay for services through the PoS channels.
Most PoS operators, another alternative source of employment for Nigerians have closed businesses. Many Businesses now demand for cash on purchase or service, with citizens lamenting the excruciating pains cause by the Government, Network Service Providers fiasco.
None of the major actors, Government or the Service Providers are have come out to speak on what the development is, efforts to reach the Kogi State Internal Revenue Services and Kogi State Utilities Management Agency has proven abortive.
The citizens are however confused with the development as no solution through what is the development has been told to them. Similarly, the Service Providers say except from their headquarters, they are not permitted to speak.
For Usman Ahmed, “it is unfortunate that this problem lingers. The environment in the State is not encouraging for business even as it is expected that the service providers ought to pay their taxes, this must however be done with consideration”
According to Sarah Avila, ” The time for the State to define taxes for service providers is now, because what we hear is that they providers are made to pay multiple taxes, reason they are refusing to pay”.
In another development citizens are asking the service providers to upgrade and improve their services in the State, pointing out that they are aware that on a daily basis, they make so much profit wondered why they can’t provide effective network service in the State.
They lamented according to Basil Ujoh, ” it is only in the State that the service providers gloss over providing adequate service”, called on the monitoring agencies to look into the plight of Kogi citizens.
For now, it is a return to the dark ages, as the war between the Kogi State Government and Network Service Providers rages on.
