Benue State Internal Revenue Service has explained why it introduced N50,000 yearly tax for electricity generating sets from private residents and up to N150,000 from business outfits across the state.

A TVC report said that addressing newsmen in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, Terna Francis, the media assistant to the Chairman of the board, Mrs Mimi Orubibi, claimed that the tax would be used by government for the “maintenance of the ozone layer” depleted by fumes emitted from the generators.

“When these levies are collected, they are channeled towards the maintenance of the ozone layer to avoid natural disaster,” the report quoted Mr Francis as saying.

It said that when asked about how they intended to carry that out, considering that the ozone layer is a belt of naturally occurring ozone gas that sits about 30 kilometres above the earth, Mr francis declined comment.

•Photo shows Benue Governor Samuel Ortom.