NSA takes over MTN N1tr case
The Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) has taken over the $5.2billion fine issue against MTN from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Daily Trust has learnt.
Sources told Daily Trust in Abuja yesterday that the MTN/ NCC N1.04trillion fine issue was beyond NCC as the Presidency was now treating the case as a national security issue which is being handled by ONSA.
This came as NCC yesterday gave MTN up to November 16, 2015 to pay the penalty or risked more severe sanctions, which may include suspension of license, Daily Trust heard.
A senior federal government official told our reporter that “ONSA took over the case because it was discovered that MTN deliberately wanted to sabotage the fight against kidnapping and insecurity by refusing to disconnect 5.2million unregistered people on its network.”
However, an Abuja based lawyer, Barrister Abubakar Sani has berated the NCC over the fine slammed on MTN Nigeria by Nigeria Communication Commission over unregistered subscribers on MTN network.
Speaking during a telephone chat with our correspondent yesterday, Abubakar Sani said that the fine was excessive.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has passed a resolution to investigate the Nigeria Communications (NCC) and four service providers over alleged noncompliance with the directive to deactivate unregistered subscribers under the Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards.
The four service providers to be investigated are MTN, Airtel, Glo and Etisalat. The House passed the resolution after adopting a motion by Rep Oluwole Oke (PDP, Osun).
The House said that despite the directive to service providers to register all subscribers on their networks, the four service providers are yet to do such.
Similarly, the House would probe NCC over the N6.1 billion appropriated for SIM registration exercise by the National Assembly in 2011.
Supporting the motion, Minority Leader Leo Ogor (PDP, Delta), sought for an amendment to the original motion, saying there was need to investigate NCC’s N6.1 billion for SIM registration, which was adopted.
Giving the breakdown of subscribers not captured by the four service providers as at December, 2014, Rep Oke said MTN had 18.6 million, Etisalat, 9.46 million, Airtel, 7.4 million and Glo, 2.33 million.