Zinox pays N2.1 billion tax on DDC machines

Leo-Stan Ekeh

By Prince Osuagwu

Group Chairman, Zinox technologies, Mr Leo-Stan Ekeh last week, hinted that his company alone paid up to 2.1 billion in tax for the 60 percent contract share of the Direct Data Capturing DDC machines used in the registration process of the April general elections.
Ekeh was speaking in relation to what benefits the country could scoop, allowing indigenous companies to execute some of the government contracts. He encouraged corporate organisations in the country to also pay their taxes promptly to have a good ground to tackle government on local content policy when the issue arises.
For him, the e-registration process was a good start to having free, fair and credible elections in the country even as he maintained that the direct fall out of the e-registration exercise was a reduction in the number of litigations.
He scored the performance of INEC in the last election high noting that Nigeria could now be rated 75 percent from the original poor position of 30 percent in organising credible elections.
According to Ekeh, “the e-registration has reduced the number of litigations. It is a good start to a credible election. At least the country has risen now from about 30 percent to 75 percent and that is a good sign. What now remains is to put other infrastructure in place to ensure a proper e-voting in Nigeria”.
Ekeh also used the opportunity of the end of year and staff award event to redefine staff welfare by offering scholarships to the children of all staff who earn less than N1m as gross salary P/A under the Staff Children Scholarship Scheme.
Each staff in this category would have up to 3 children covered under this scheme through secondary school up to tertiary institution. One of these children would be trained in a private secondary school.
The highpoint of the Awards was the Staff of the Year Award won by Emmanuel Onuegbu, General Manager, Abuja/North for his outstanding performance in achieving revenue targets in the 2010/11 financial year. Mr. Onuegbu was also commended for his growing marketing versatility that has seen him interact seamlessly with all social segments in the IT market. The Staff of the Year Award would bring about an upward review of his fringe benefits. The Awardees home branch at Abuja would also enjoy some benefits as a means of encouraging team work.
Ekeh, however noted that the emphasis on education reinforces his belief that only quality education available to all would lead this nation to greatness. The Chairman revealed that the Zinox Group would increase its CSR in the educational sector through the provision of more digital centers and IT laboratories in tertiary institutions in the six geopolitical zones in the country.