Ekiti seals off MTN, Etisalat offices

Ekiti State Government has sealed of outlets off two
mobile telecommunication companies, MTN Nigeria
Limited and Etisalat, in Ado-Ekiti for allegedly owing
N50 million signage and advertisement bills.
According to a statement from the Ministry of
Information, the affected outlets of the GSM
companies include their main offices at Fajuyi Park
and Okesa, while two other outlets of MTN at Lyin
road and Adebayo area of the state capital were also
sealed off.
Justifying the action, the Special Adviser to Governor
Ayodele Fayose on Internally Generated Revenue, Mr.
Ropo Ogunbiyi, said his agency had legal backing.
He stated that the affected companies were formally
notified about their huge debt to the state
government since 2006, but could not get any
positive response from them.
He lamented that it was unfortunate that
telecommunication companies of such caliber that
had made so much fortunes from members of the
public could find it difficult to pay their signage fees,
adding that after a long period of waiting and
entreaties, the board had no option left than to seal
off the Companies.
With the dwindling federal allocations, the revenue
boss explained that there was need for the state
government to look inwards and generate more
money internally so as to have enough funds to
execute the numerous people-oriented projects of
the State Government.
He urged the private sector to assist the government
through prompt payment of their taxes and rates.