ITRealms Online had reported that leading mobile operator in the country,
MTN Nigeria Communications Limited, is likely to shut its door against the
people of the South-Eastern States, if the unremorseful Abia State government
agency, AIDF continued in its bid to exploit the company in the name of levies
that were not in the books statutorily.
Reacting to the development, telecommunications operators through its
body, the Association of Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON)
revealed at the weekend that it’s in support of any operator to pull-out of any
area if the government and people of such communities are not friendly and
environment is not conducive for their kind of business.
Chairman of ALTON, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, told ITRealms Online while
responding to questions at the weekend that the behavior and insistence of AIDF
is unfortunate and undemocratic.
He lamented that in a normal clime, the people elected the populace
cannot be the clog of progress, considering the development that
telecommunications has brought to the economic well-being of Nigerians, especially
those in the rural communities.
This attitude of AIDF, he said, is a disgrace to democracy and must be
tamed before it gets out of hand.
According to him, the Abia State government and its agencies are missing
the priority of providing affordable communication to the citizenry.
“It’s against normal life. It’s criminal and once we allow that to
happen, it would replicate in other states. Therefore it remains criminal and
not acceptable to us,” he said.
Adebayo also warned that this trend of harassing telecom operators and
their employees by one state agency or another, would militate against expected
growth in the ICT sector.
“We are at risk … We are worried and it would be very unfortunate if it’s
allowed,” he lamented, saying that in some of the sites, they are hub-sites,
which entails that they serve beyond their immediate environment to include
other neighbouring states.
He further called on the government at all levels, be it federal, state
and local governments to see telecommunications investment and operators as service providers.
“Most government currently think that the higher taxes or levies from the
Stated and Local government,” he said, alleging that bulk of the problems like
this one between MTN and Abia State, begins when government and its agencies
make demands that are out of the law guiding the industry.
Till date, he pointed out that operators still have to go to about 10
ministries to get right of way, a process which has continued to dwindle
investment potentials.
Meanwhile, penultimate Wednesday, MTN management had taken a notice in
some national dailies to warn of the impending shut down of its services in
South East.
According to the notice entitled ‘Quality of Service in Abia State and
its Environs: An Alert to MTN Customers in the Eastern Region’ the mobile
operator decried the attitude of the Abia State government through one of its
agencies.
MTN management noted that the notice has become imperative due to the
challenges the operator is facing and at the same time endangering the
lives of employees, hence they decided to alert customers.
“… For the attention of MTN customers in Abia State and neighbouring
states in the South-East and South-south Regions,” part of the statement read.
MTN also said that as a customer-focused organization, that they are duty bound to proactively inform our
esteemed customers of any occurrence that may cause disruptions that impact the
quality of telecommunications services in their areas.
“We wish to alert our customers that due to the actions of the Abia State
Infrastructure Development Fund (IDF),” MTN said, alleging that the attitude of
Abia IDF has caused the network operator of being unable to gain access to
several of its sites in the state.
MTN, the statement added is unable to fuel or service these sites, a
number of which are ‘hub’ sites providing service to other states in the
Eastern part of the country.
“As such, a significant number of MTN customers outside Abia State will
be similarly affected,” MTN said.
Further, MTN alleged that the Abia State Infrastructure Development Fund
seeks to compel MTN to pay levies, the legality of which is being challenged in
court by MTN.
“In spite of ongoing court processes, the Agency has employed a variety
of tactics over the course of this year with increasing disruptive action over
the past few days, which if unremedied will result in the shutdown of network
services in Abia State, Rivers State and environs,” MTN said.
Stressing that they have had to take extra measures to protect employees
in Abia State and surrounding States as a result of the actions of the Abia
State Infrastructure Development Fund.
MTN, therefore assured that they would continue to engage with the
relevant arms of government in the bid to resolve the issues in this regard.
“… And we earnestly seek the co-operation and understanding of our
esteemed customers,” MTN pleaded.
Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
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