Operatives of the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), had on Tuesday, December 23, 2014 sealed off a television station known as Infinity Television which belonged to Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Believers Love World Ministry due to an accumulated debts of millions of Naira to the state government.
According to Leadership, the attention of the state government was drawn to the television station by the protest staged by workers of the TV station over non-payment of 10 months salaries and non-remittance of their Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax to the appropriate authorities.
Some staff of the television station who didn’t want their names mentioned revealed that the fortunes of station located at 16, Moyibat Oyefusi Street, Omole Phase 1, which is a Direct To Home had worsened.
Additionally, the workers said the authorities had failed to pay them thereby leading to a protest which attracted the officials of the LIRS to the premises on the fateful day when they shut it down and locked it with a padlock with an accompanying notice on the gate.
It was learnt that the management were planning to sack the workers without paying them their outstanding salaries and this has made the aggrieved staff to threaten a protest to Christ Embassy Church on Oregun Road at the Crossover Night on 31st December, 2014 .
One of them said, “Prior to this time, the staff had been receiving half salaries (for over a year) and by June 2014, salaries have not been paid to date. To worsen the case, the staff were barred from entering the office premises by the chief operating officer, Mr Henry Kifordu.
“All efforts by the staff to meet with the management proved abortive. Staff taxes and pensions have been deducted for years and were never remitted to appropriate authorities. Infinity TV was finally locked up for tax evasion on 23rd December.”
