The Edo State Government, through its Inland Revenue Services, has shut the Benin Airport, over evasion of taxes by airport workers.

However, in a shift reaction, the spokesperson, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr Yakubu Dati, described the development as an ``invasion``.

Dati said this in a news release made available to aviation correspondents at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.

``We learnt early this morning that some people belonging to the Edo State Inland Revenue Service shut the Benin Airport over what our staff described as non-payment of taxes.

``This is coming to us as a rude shock, because they could have explored all lines of dialogue, instead of just taking the laws into their hands.

``To close Benin Airport is not good for the security and safety of the airport environment, `` he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that flight and commercial activities at the airport were grounded for several hours on Tuesday.

Dati explained that the laws setting up FAAN exempted it from paying taxes and tenement rates.

``Despite this, the Edo State Inland Revenue Service went ahead to close the airport ``, he said

The spokes person said that airlines operating the route, including Aero and Arik, could not fly to the city either from Lagos or Abuja.

He said the Edo State Inland Revenue Service could have explored all avenues of communication to establish their message, instead of carrying out activities that could threaten the safety and security of the airport.

Dati said significant revenue has been lost by the airlines, airport authority and aviation agencies, which they could have realised from about 10 flights into and out of the airport.

The spokesperson urged the government not to politicise the matter, adding that this could have been resolved amicably without disrupting operations at the airport.

He said that it was not clear when the airport would be reopened, and urged passengers and other airport workers to exercise patience.

Dati assured the stakeholders that efforts were on to resolve the matter as soon as possible. (NAN)

http://leadership.ng/news/300713/edo-govt-closes-benin-airport-over-evasion-tax-faan-reacts

season two of an endless series!

Did FAAN and NAMA used dialogue before grounding the helicopter conveying Oshiomole to a social function?

Infact, Oshiomole should ground it to maximum paralysis. This FAAN spokesman is suffering from diarrhea of forgetfulness and obsolete disillussionment. The same fate was meted to Oshiomole, and none of the aviation agencies gave a cogent reasons for the grounding of the helicopters

Conflict Resolution is never achieved through spontaneous decision.

Dialogue is always the key word

Pay back time, y are people always complaining when receiving d seed dey hv sold, first was AMECHI when he was fighting opposition in his state, he dint c it as oppression, so dey no what is dialogue, when dey were doing it to osho ba ba dey dint remember dialogue, d best pray is 4 every human 2 reap what he hv sole.

dolphinife: Did FAAN and NAMA used dialogue before grounding the helicopter conveying Oshiomole to a social function?

Infact, Oshiomole should ground it to maximum paralysis. This FAAN spokesman is suffering from diarrhea of forgetfulness and obsolete disillussionment. The same fate was meted to Oshiomole, and none of the aviation agencies gave a cogent reasons for the grounding of the helicopters

You sound so foolish!! Did you even understand what was written there?

Ayekotoo: season two of an endless series!

Season 2 indeed!...

He can close d airport as many times as he likes, but he nor fit close d other craft wer Benin pipo don dey use tay tay

some hypocrites will come and tell us that Adams oshiomole shouldn't have done this.

Thank God e no concern me mtchew

So you think shutting down the airport will affect anybody, other than Edo citizens and businesses This man call Osho is not as smart as I thought.

Why i'm i not surprised, shebi na Edo govt?
illegality is the norm in revenue generation over there.
www.vanguardngr.com/2013/07/robbers-or-local-govt-officials-at-benin-by-pass/

"...Dati explained that the laws setting up FAAN exempted it from paying taxes and tenement rates..."

If the above is true then why should Edo state Govt embark on this charade??...don't they have legal advisers?...FAAN and NAMA should these guys asss out..

dolphinife: Did FAAN and NAMA used dialogue before grounding the helicopter conveying Oshiomole to a social function?

Infact, [b]Oshiomole should ground it to maximum paralysis. [/b]This FAAN spokesman is suffering from diarrhea of forgetfulness and obsolete disillussionment. The same fate was meted to Oshiomole, and none of the aviation agencies gave a cogent reasons for the grounding of the helicopters

And what you fail to realise is that it is not the FG who suffers when Oshiomole grounds the Airport, it is we ordinary Nigerians who use to Airport to go from place to place.

This is plain stupidity. So because something was done to Oshiomole, we citizens should suffer?

Once again, this is plain stupidity on display by both my very admirable Governor and the writer of the post I quoted.

And by the way, I had to drive all the way to Lagos after spending 18k for flight online. If not for the smooth and fresh Benin Ore road..... So you can understand my anger!

After being MAMAed

atlwireles: So you think shutting down the airport will affect anybody, other than Edo citizens and businesses This man call Osho is not as smart as I thought.

Pay your bills, nwokem!

And did I hear dialogue? When his helicopter was grounded, were they not celebrating. Its payback - revenge is sweet.

egift:

Pay your bills, nwokem!

And did I hear dialogue? When his helicopter was grounded, were they not celebrating. Its payback - revenge is sweet.

The airport can remain closed forever for all I care. Na edo people go suffer. There are airports in Warri and Asaba. We will gladly welcome all Edo travelers to come use them. More money and business for us in Delta.

This was a big embarrassment, I saw foriegners (white men) scaling the fence to get access throught the baricaded gate. I had this feeling they already understood our system as a failed one.

atlwireles:

The airport can remain closed forever for all I care. Na edo people go suffer. There are airports in Warri and Asaba. We will gladly welcome all Edo travelers to come use them. More money and business for us in Delta.

Yes o

Obviously some FG agencies are tax-exempt IRS should have tried to investigate what basis they had to levy a government establishment the way they did. but you know when a snake is hungry, anything be food, even its own tail

Nigerian governors and their show of power, when GEJ reacts now, everyone will call for his head. See how Gov Oshimole is reacting blindly to this, anyway, I pity the travelers and airliners who are affected.

atlwireles: So you think shutting down the airport will affect anybody, other than Edo citizens and businesses This man call Osho is not as smart as I thought.

you family members and relatives in the Uk dont pay tax abi

That's good from the Edo state government FAAN don't pay tenement tax but the staff of FAAN re surpose to pay tax

Kai, Nigeria oo.
So closing of airport is the next. Dumb govt officials.
All the players that we hear evade tax, have they closed their football clubs

Promhize: Kai, Nigeria oo.
So closing of airport is the next. Dumb govt officials.
All the players that we hear evade tax, have they closed their football clubs

Help me tell them. Its baffling that an ignorant/dumb governor can close down a federal govt airport.

free2ryhme:


you family members and relatives in the Uk dont pay tax abi

My brother which family member in the UK are you talking about

Edo did not shut down Benin Airport –
Oshiomhole


The governor accused the Nigerian Police of partisanship.

The Benin Airport that was shut down on Tuesday was not shut by the Edo State Government, the governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has said.
The airport was shut on Tuesday as the Edo State Government and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) engaged in a tussle over tax debts.

At the centre of the tussle are debts allegedly owed the state government by FAAN and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), totalling N39.7 million. FAAN was accused of owing N15 million while NAMA was alleged to owe N24.7 million.

Mr. Oshiomhole, while narrating Edo State’s role in the airport controversy, denied that the state government shut down the airport; saying the state lacks such power under Nigerian law.
He said the state government served an administrative order on FAAN after duly obtaining same from a court, informing the airport manager of the tax debts. Instead of dialoguing with the tax officials, the manager allegedly took the law into his hands, descending on the officials of Edo State Board of Internal Revenue, who served the notice on him; and thereafter, shut down the airport so as to turn the heat against the state government.

“When the airport manager was served the notice, he in turn, shut down the lounge and other offices. He shut it down so that nobody will go in or come out of the airport,” Mr. Oshiomhole said in an impromptu address at the Government House, Benin.

“Just to put it on record, the Edo State government did not shut down the airport. It was done by the manager who wanted to use it as a shield against the tax of his workers that he has not paid. The logic of the rule of law is that everybody is under the law. Nobody is above the law.

“The airport manager assaulted the revenue board officials. He also assaulted a cameraman. I am obliged to pay my tax and I am liable if I don’t pay. The fact of being a governor does not preclude me from paying my tax,” the governor said.

Mr. Oshiomhole also accused the Nigeria Police Force of unfair treatment in the crisis.
He said the Inspector-General of Police ordered the State Commissioner of Police to arrest the Chairman .of Edo State Board of Internal Revenue, Oseni Elamah, over the disagreement. He wondered why the police would choose to arrest a law abiding citizen in place of another who commits a criminal offence of not paying his tax and not remitting the duly paid taxes of others.

Several flights that were scheduled to take off from the airport could not as passengers remained stranded outside.

The Airport Manager, Sunday Ayodele, could not be reached on the airport’s next line of action as he did not respond to calls on his phone.
Tuesday’s incident occurred about two months after a private helicopter flying Mr. Oshiomhole to Anambra was recalled midair by the authorities of FAAN, who alleged that the governor’s pilot did not file the necessary flight details before taking-off from the Benin Airport. Mr. Oshiomhole later abandoned the trip after the helicopter was delayed at the airport.

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/141938-edo-did-not-shut-down-benin-airport-oshiomhole.html

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/07/30/benin-airport-oshiomhole-condemns-arrest-of-irs-boss/

There was a twist to the sealing of the Benin airport Tuesday afternoon, following the arrest and detention of Chairman of Edo state Board of Internal Revenue, BIR, Chief Oseni Elamah by the police.
Following his arrest, the state governor, Adams Oshiomohole condemned in strong terms the assault of agents of the state Board of Internal Revenue by the Benin Manager of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mr Ayodele Sunday during the enforcement of a court order sealing the airport for default in the payments of N15 million PAYE tax.
ADAM OSHIOMHOLE, GOVERNOR OF EDO STATE: condemns arrest of IRS boss
ADAM OSHIOMHOLE, GOVERNOR OF EDO STATE: condemns arrest of IRS boss
The Governor also condemned the arrest of the Chairman of the Board of Internal Revenue, Chief Oseni Elamah, on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, saying the Police ought to protect the man trying to enforce the law and not the lawbreaker. He said the due process of law will be applied to pursue the matter and called for the release of Chief Elamah.
According to the governor, “the Edo state government did not seal up the airport. the revenue board staff went there peacefully to do their job. The authority of the revenue board went to serve a ‘Distraining Order’ on the administrative office of FAAN. It was done in a way to ensure that it does not affect the operations of the airport knowing that the airport is a public place and as much as we want to collect taxes due to government, we don’t want to inflict pains on travellers who are not a party to the issue of tax evasion.
“However when the Manager’s office was sealed up, he in turn, in order to attract national attention or dramatize the issue, decided on his own to shut down the airport. As you know his office is several hundred meters outside the airport and the sealing up of his office will not in any way affect the airport. So just to put it on record, the Edo state government did not shut down the airport.
“We believe it was possible to get the FAAN to pay their obligation without causing untold hardship to air travelers. So the closure of the airport has been unilaterally done by the Airport Manager who wanted to use it to shield himself from the charges against him, namely, deducting PAYE from employees of FAAN and not paying to the Edo state government in accordance with the law.
“Everybody is under the law; no one is above the law. The only thing that surprised me this morning is that the airport Manager assaulted members of the revenue board. I have been a bit embarrassed that the Police Commissioner has arrested the Revenue Board chairman and I have asked him to release him. He said his arrest was on the orders of the IGP.
“I have thought that when laws are violated, that it is those who violated the law that should be arrested by the police not those who seek to enforce the law. I do not believe that the action of the police is appropriate and I feel we all must ensure that the rule of law be followed. I believe that the revenue board acted properly by going to court to obtain a court order and to serve it in a way that it will cause no inconvenience to members of the public. I believe the matter is under control, I have spoken to the authorities in Abuja and I believe the matter will be handled amicably,” he stated.

if the above is true, we are in trouble

CFCfan:
Help me tell them. Its baffling that an ignorant/dumb governor can close down a federal govt airport.

Mr Too Know, you concluded that the Governor is "ignorant/dumb" without hearing his own side?

dolphinife: Did FAAN and NAMA used dialogue before grounding the helicopter conveying Oshiomole to a social function?

Infact, Oshiomole should ground it to maximum paralysis. This FAAN spokesman is suffering from diarrhea of forgetfulness and obsolete disillussionment. The same fate was meted to Oshiomole, and none of the aviation agencies gave a cogent reasons for the grounding of the helicopters

So its a 'do me, I do you' thing now? When will Nigerians understand that 2 wrongs will never make a right?

take dat: Mr Too Know, you concluded that the Governor is "ignorant/dumb" without hearing his own side?

His denial is even laughable.

egift:

Pay your bills, nwokem!

And did I hear dialogue? When his helicopter was grounded, were they not celebrating. Its payback - revenge is sweet.

Sweet indeed