Two states in the federation have issued notices of noncompliance to the Petroleum Products Marketing Company, PPMC, a subsidiary of the NNPC over unpaid taxes.
The states are Ogun and Rivers.
They are asking the PPMC to remit a backlog of revenue accruing from statutory taxes totalling N60 billion.
A breakdown of the figures show that the PPMC is owing the Ogun State Government the sum of N18 billion in unpaid taxes.
Similarly, it is owing the Rivers State Government a whooping debt of N49 billion incurred between 1999 and 2020.
The Rivers State Internal Revenue Service (RIRS) on Monday, 29 August, 2022 served the notice of non-compliance to the NNPC.
According to the RIRS which issued the reminder to NNPC Ltd, its subsidiary is owing the River State government over N42billion.
Under the law, corporate concerns operating in the states are obligated to pay duty tax on staff annual upfront salaries and 13th month bonuses.
The subsidiary of the NNPC, RIRS noted, has failed to discharge its tax obligation to the Rivers State Government.
The Ogun State government, it will be recalled, a few weeks ago issued a notice of noncompliance to the PPMC demanding the payment of over N18 billion accruing to it between 1999 and 2020.
Many here are worried over the possibility of a face off over unpaid taxes between the NNPC and the PPMC on one hand and the Rivers State Government on the other.
Should that happen in the near future, people in the South South fear that disagreements over PPMC’s noncompliance might trigger scarcity in the supply of petroleum products in the region.
Illegal bunkering activities in the geopolitical zone is already affecting the ability of the Federal Government to meet its quota of OPEC’s oil deliveries.
Nigeria is increasingly losing billions of dollars daily as a result of oil theft in the Niger Delta.
More than 400,000 barrels of oil per day are stolen from pipelines criss crossing the country by thieves who are raking billions of dollars through their illegal activities.