The House of Representatives Committee on Telecommunications has summoned the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, Executive Vice Chairman of Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Garba Danbata and other
stakeholders over the sudden reduction of the fine against MTN Nigeria, over regulation breaches.
The NCC had last year, slammed MTN with a fine of N1.04 trillion over its failure to deactivate all unregistered SIM cards on its network as earlier directed by the Commission, but was negotiated down to over N700 billion, prompting the House to through a resolution, mandated the Committee to investigate why the decision was made.
The Akande-Fijabi Saheed-led committee was further angered by a recent media report that the amount had finally been reduced to N330 billion, and that agreement had been entered into with MTN on the modality of payment, saying more clarifications were needed from those involved in the negotiation, and so those summoned are expected to appear before it next Monday at 11am.
Confirming this to the committee yesterday, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Mr Sonny Echono who represented Shittu said government has approved the N330 billion as “the whole and final fine against MTN”, and that this came after procedural engagements involving a ministerial committee, as well as the inputs of the AGF.
The Committee which had given a directive that all matters relating to the fine be put on hold, pending the outcome of its investigation was not happy too that the final negotiated amount was reached without
recourse to the National Assembly, though Echono explained that they saw the House’s ongoing investigation as an “independent” effort, which outcome should not stop the progress so far made.
He stressed that the negotiation process was carried out in the best of transparent manner, and that the outcome has “received the blessing of the highest office of government”, a submission the
representative of NCC, and its Director of Public Affairs, Mr Tony Ojobo concurred.
Specifically, a members of the Committee, Hon. Diri Douye expressed dissatisfaction with how the fine was negotiated downward, even when the committee directed that all actions be stayed while the
investigation lasts, nothing that the action may set a dangerous precedence in the sector.
Earlier in his remarks, Fijabi lamented that public had “inundated the committee with petitions and terse outburst, regarding the basis for NCC’s further unilateral action. Nigerians are at a loss on why NCC
was in a hurry and insensitive in awaiting the outcome of the ongoing investigation of the subject matter by the federal House of Representatives.
