N166 Billion Suit Against Addax Not Rested- AKIRS Opens Up After Verdict

N166 Billion Suit Against Addax Not Rested- AKIRS Opens Up After Verdict

Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service ( AKIRS) has said that they will not let their N166 billion suit against Addax Petroleum Development (Nig) Ltd rest even though the court has ruled on the matter.

The High Court of Akwa Ibom State on 15th March, 2021 through a judgement delivered by the Honourable Justice Theresa Obot, upheld the objection of the Defendant’s Counsel – Olurotimi Aju, Esq. of CLP Legal that the High Court of Akwa Ibom State lacked the competence to assume jurisdiction to determine matters of taxes and levies, including Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and Withholding Tax, purported to have been unremitted by the company between 1997 and 2018, which arose from the company’s operations of OML 123 allegedly falling within the territorial jurisdiction of Akwa Ibom State.

In reaction to the ruling, the Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service ( AKIRS), Mr Okon Okon when contacted said the suit is “not yet Uhuru” for Addax.

He said ” What we can say is that the matter is not yet laid to rest. What the court said is that they do not have jurisdiction to hear that matter. That does not mean another court cannot hear it. It is not as if the case was totally dismissed or struck out. What the Judge ruled was that they do not have jurisdiction to hear that matter as instituted by the defendant.”

Okon noted that his legal team is working on their next line of action that will be in the interest of the State.

By Ekemini Simon

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