Foremost Information and Communications
Technology (ICT) conglomerate in Nigeria, the Zinox Technologies Limited, has faulted a report published in the Vanguard
Newspaper on Thursday
March 3rd linking it to the illegal lodgement of proceeds
of the sale of broadband spectrum to telecommunication giants, MTN by the National
Broadcasting Commission (NBC), reports ITRealms.
According to the
report, the NBC had received the sum of N34.1 billion on July 28, 2015 from MTN
as proceeds of lease of broadband spectrum bandwidth licensed to MTN by the
commission, a controversial deal which has met with stiff disapproval from
other telecoms players in Nigeria.
The report had gone
on to state that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had
commenced investigation into the matter after top officials of the NBC had
reportedly diverted N10 billion out of the sum received to four companies which
the NBC allegedly gave contracts without bidding.
In a swift reaction
to the publication, Company Secretary and Legal Adviser, Zinox Technologies Ltd.,
Barr. Chris Eze Ozims described the allegation as the handiwork of hatchet-men
eager to rubbish the company’s hard-earned and long-standing reputation for
integrity.
“Zinox was not paid a
kobo by the NBC. We are indeed shocked to read from Vanguard Newspapers that
Zinox Technologies Limited was one of the companies the NBC paid cash to.
“We wish to make it
clear that till date, we are yet to receive a kobo from the NBC for duly
approved contracts which we executed. As a strong technology company with
credible capacity and advanced competencies, we had participated in a bid
process for the NBC license for supply of Set-Top boxes for the digital
rollover. We were successfully
pre-qualified and had paid N50 million to the NBC for the license. Thereafter,
we were invited to bid alongside other companies and we won and were awarded a
contract to supply 150,000 units of the boxes.
“Till date, a single
kobo has not been released to us for the supply of the items. The Federal
Government of Nigeria, the NBC and even the EFCC are fully aware of this. It
is, therefore, embarrassing to the Management of the company and our local and global
partners to have our names linked to any breach of due process at the NBC,” he
noted.
Noting that the
company will not hesitate to consider legal avenues of seeking redress for the
malicious and unsubstantiated claims, Barr. Ozims reaffirmed the company’s
commitment to the growth and development of the Nigerian ICT sector as well as
the democratization of access to information, jobs and wealth creation for
millions of Nigerians through its knowledge democracy platforms.
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