The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA)
and Rivers State Government may be gearing up for a showdown following the violation
of ONSA directive that no government agency should seal any Base Transceiver Station (BTS) site as they are designated Critical National
Infrastructure, reports ITRealms.
Base
Transceiver Station (BTS) denotes a base station in Global System for Mobile (GSM)
communication terminology and which consists of an antenna and the radio
equipment.
Rivers State through its Inland Revenue Service (RIRS) allegedly shut a regional
office and hub site of 9mobile
in the state since June 26, 2018.
ITRealms reports that the
shutdown is in clear violation of ONSA recent directive by RIRS in sealing 9Mobile
Premises where a Critical Site is also situated, which has become inaccessible
with the attendant security implications.
Also, ITRealms reports that EMTS has
suffered incalculable financial loss as the sales outlet which is within the
premises has remained closed, preventing it from serving its esteemed
customers.
Additionally, ITRealms
gathered, EMTS suffered severe reputational damage from
the bold display of the sealing order on EMTS premises, creating the perception
that EMTS is a tax defaulter, whereas EMTS employees have suffered untold
hardship due to this wanton act, as its employees have been unable to resume at
their duty posts for over two weeks.
Reacting to this development, the umbrella
body of telecom operators in the country, the Association of Licensed
Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), also berated the sealing of
9mobile office.
According to ALTON in a letter to the
chairman of RIRS sighted by ITRealms and endorsed by both
its chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, and Executive Secretary, Kazeem Oladepo, “All
entreaties to meet with the RIRS for a reconciliation was rebuffed; rather, the
RIRS has compelled EMTS to make a payment of 30 per cent of the alleged sum
amounting to N32,387,561.088 as a pre-condition to unsealing EMTS regional
office.
“EMTS has been severely prejudiced by the refusal
of the RIRS to give EMTS an opportunity for a Reconciliation Meeting, despite
several requests for the same,” ALTON lamented.
Further, ALTON requested RIRS and the State
Government to desist from any acts inimical to the normal operations of its
members in the State and to unseal EMTS Premises immediately to enable it to
continue its operations to offer Rivers State its usual world class services,
while granting EMTS audience for a reconciliation meeting at which the matter is
expected to be finally resolved.
The ALTON letter was also copied to the Executive
Vice Chairman (EVC) Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Security
Adviser, (NSA), Minister of Finance, Minister of Trade & Industry and Secretary,
Joint Task Board (JTB).
Chuks Egbune/GEE
Pix: National Security Adviser, Babagana Mongonu and Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
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