FG names technical board for NITEL

The Federal Government has constituted a Technical Board of Management to take over the affairs of the Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL) Plc.
This is coming barely 24 hours after FG revoked the sale of NITEL to Transnational Corporation (TRANSCORP).

Announcing this, the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President (Media
and Publicity), Mr. Ima Niboro, said in a press statement made available to newsmen that the technical board will be in-charge of day-today administration of NITEL and its mobile arm, M-Tel, until such a time when the search for core investor process is put to rest.

He listed members of the board to include the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr. Abubakar Mohammed, who would preside over the board, Director-General of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Dr. Christopher Anyanwu, Mr. Steve Oronsaye (Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance), Acting Managing Director of NITEL (to be appointed), Ibrahim Kashim (Director, Information and Communications, BPE), Mr. Sam Worlu, Senior Special Adviser on Economics to the Vice President (Representative of the Chairman, National Council on
Privatisation) and the Managing Director, NIGCOMSAT Ltd.

Also yesterday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) urged the government to prosecute persons responsible for the present precarious state of the once vibrant parastatal.
Meanwhile, House of Representatives Committee on Communications, may have endorsed Globacom’s desire to bid for the acquisition of NITEL.

Some of the committee members, who spoke during a facility tour of Globacom in Lagos, informed that the company had the technical competence and capability to make a difference in the fortunes of the moribund.

They pointed out that Globacom had performed beyond the expectations of Nigerians, thus a proudly Nigerian telco, stressing that based on aforementioned, Globacom should be given a chance to save the remains of NITEL.

Mr. Patrick Ikhariale, a member of the committee and the deputy chairman of the House Committee on Justice, stated: "Glo has shown it has the capacity and technology in bringing accelerated development in Nigeria's telecommunications industry. This is evident from the success it has recorded in the last six years and making possible what other telecom companies said was not possible. I am sure that if given a chance, the company will replicate its success story with NITEL."


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