By
Victoria Anietie
In
line with the legislative agenda of the sixth Assembly to partner the executive
in boosting the internally generated revenue, (IGR) of the State and to ensure
that companies and other corporate organizations doing business in the State
leave up to their corporate social responsibilities, and as well contribute to
the revenue base of the State, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee
on Appropriation and Finance, today held a meeting with representatives of
ComEnergy Managed Services Limited (MSL) , a company that has been providing
sites maintenance to Telecommunications companies in the state.
The
meeting took place at the House of Assembly conference room. Udoudoma Avenue
Uyo.
Setting
the tone for the meeting, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Usoro, said the
aim of the meeting was to enable the lawmakers interface with the management of
the company to ascertain the level of compliance by the company in the payment
of payee (pay as you earn) in the remittance of tax to the state government.
He pointed
out to them that why Akwa Ibom State is called the best state is because
companies operating in the state are paying their taxes and the state
government used it to build infrastructure for its citizenry and urged them to
follow suit.
Akpanusoh,
who is the member representing EsitEket /Ibeno State Constituency further
sought explanation from the company on it's level of corporate social
responsibility CSR,to the state since they commenced operation in the state
since 2015- 2016, they responded nothing and he noted that the company has
failed in the discharge of their social cooperate responsibility and if they
want to continue operating in the state they should do the needful by paying
their tax to the state government and should employ an indigene of the state as
a community Liaison Officer so as to understand the tarren.
Responding,
Head of Finance in the company Olugbenga Ogunleye, said he was nominated to
represent the company as their MD was unavoidably absent. He make known to the
lawmakers that the company has no cooperate office in the state as they are
Young and operating with casual workers.
"We
do not have expatriate here in Akwa Ibom. Our business Is site maintenance,
Mass maintenance to the telecommunications company. Our duty is to ensure that
there is power supply and network services "He noted
When
asked who is the state CLO of the Company, he brought one man and introduced
him as Mr. Isaac Essien, from Ibeno Local Government Area of the state. But
when lawmakers questioned the said Isaac Essien to know if he is actually an
indigene of the area as acclaimed by the representatives of Comenergy, it was
observed that the man was impersonator, Who could not speak Ibeno nor Ibibio
language. He couldn't mention his family name, compound, paramount ruler and
even his lawmaker and the committee urged Assembly police to carry him so as to
find out exactly where he's from.
Mr.
Olugbenga, pleaded with the committee members that he did not know the man
employed by his company doesn't know anything about the state takless of the
place he claimed to have come from and promised to replace him.
He
further promised the company's readiness to cooperate with the state by giving
out two desktop computer, two thousand pencils and two thousand exercise books
to selected schools of their choice as their part of social cooperate
responsibility.
The
meeting was Chaired by the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation and
Finance, Hon. Usoro Akpanusoh, and had other members of the committee
including, the Deputy Leader of the House, Rt. Hon. Barr. Ime Okon, Hon. Barr..
Aniefiok Dennis and Hon. David Lawrence in attendance
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