LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN HOSPITALS.

The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service  on Tuesday sealed a
hospital and maternity home in Lagos for alleged failure to remit
about N2.5m income taxes of workers
A Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria, monitoring the tax
enforcement activity of the Service, reports that hospital, located
at Oke-Ira in Ogba area of Lagos, was sealed at about 1.00 pm.
The Head of Enforcement Unit of LIRS, Mrs Folashade Coker-
Afolayan, said that the hospital management failed to remit
income tax deducted from salaries of its workers between 2009
and 2010.
“The hospital will not be reopened for business until the tax
liability is remitted,” Coker-Afolayan said.
She said that the government had earlier written to the hospital on
the need to remit workers’ tax to the authorities.
LIRS has no alternative than to seal the hospital when the management failed to respond to its request.
She reiterated that payment of taxes was a civic responsibility of
everyone, explaining that government needed the tax proceeds to
provide infrastructure for economic growth and improved standard
of living of citizens.
She warned the hospital management not to tamper with the seal
on the premises, saying that only LIRS officials had the authority
to unseal the place.
Coker-Afolayan also stated that it was a criminal for people to
assault government’s officials on legitimate duties.
The Medical Director of the hospital, who pleaded anonymity,
denied knowledge of the letters from LIRS on tax remittance and
condemned the manner of enforcement of tax laws in the state.