The Director-General of Kogi State Infrastructural and Utility Management Compliance Agency (KIUMCA), Alhaji Taufiq Isa has said the agency is operating within the ambit of the law, contrary to what is being speculated in the State.
Speaking to Assembly Correspondents in Lokoja on Tuesday shortly after defending the agency 2025 budget, Alhaji Isa noted that the shutting down of one of the telecommunications network, (MTN) in Kogi State was done in accordance to the law.
Explaining what happened that led to the shutting down of MTN in Kogi State, Isa said “We are an agency duly authorized by the authority that is gazette by law. The only problem we have was with MTN. The telecommunication company is from South Africa and we didn’t discriminate them.
“But, we told them that they have issue with not paying outstanding their debt. As I took over, it was no longer business as usual. I invited all of them for a brief meeting. The agency later invited all the Local Government Chairmen to give me one desk officers to work with us across the State.
“Immediately, I set up a task force. We have been in the system and we know how to operate. The Government won’t allow utility users to catch us unaware. We are almost everywhere. The Government kept telling them it is no longer business as usual, but they don’t want to listen.
“If they are owing the State, they should come and pay. We don’t collect money. We only tell them what to pay into the coffer of the State account via Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, (KGIRS). Glo, Airtel, within 24 hours, cooperated. They paid over N80Million. You can’t see any crisis between us and them.
” But for MTN, we wrote, they invited me to Abuja and I told them our office is not situated in Abuja because they are not operating in Abuja but on our soil, Kogi State. I told them to come to Kogi State let us discuss. When they saw I was so serious, they started intimidating me, reporting me to so many authorities. We told them that we are not operating illegally.
” I told them we won’t go beyond our gazette. Finally, they came and we discussed. The agency informed them of what they are owing the State Government and they said no. After saying so, we told them to bring their technicians , and while the Government also brought theirs who are qualified people.
” We went to the field with them. At first, MTN said they are scared of kidnapping but we told them that Kogi State Government is on top in the security situation of the the state. When we went to the field, instead of them to pay N360million that drag us up to that extent, we later discovered that MTN is owing us about N1.2billion because of those areas they can’t have access to we went into those areas after discovering a lot of atrocities.
“So, I told them if they can now see the reality on ground. Instead of them to just pay this money, they refused. That is what we are still dragging. Today, we may still go back to the drawing board because if they refuse to pay, we will do the needful.
“That time, I wrote to them, gave them letter, notified the Governor, for them to do the needful, they failed. Calling our operations illegal in Kogi State is not true. We are operating in accordance with the law that set up the agency. We will never illegally close down any organization in Kogi State”.
According to him, the agency in the last three months have raked over N200million for the State Government noting that, they are expected to attract more revenue for meaningful development in Kogi State.
“We are targeting over N1billion in 2025 for the State Government. Our agency is attached to Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, (KGIRS) and we are saddled with the responsibility of monitoring all the utility users in Kogi State in making sure that they complied with the law.
“Anyone that violate the law of the State will be penalized. That is part of our major responsibilities. We have been going round to ensure that our law is adhered to. In the last three months, we have raised over N200million for the State Government. We are expecting about two billion naira from MTN and other utility users. That is to tell you that we have totally overhaul the system which is part of our responsibility” he stated.