By Bankole Orimisan
As the move to privatize the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) and Mobile Telecommunications (MTEL) advances, the subscribers under the aegis of National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) have called on the Federal Government to halt the process and rather set a N400 billion bail-out scheme to save the telecoms firm.
The National President of NATCOMS, Deolu Ogunbanjo said in a statement made available to The Guardian yesterday that the bail-out is necessary to rescue NITEL from alleged shady deal that might arise from the privatization process. He said out of the N400 billion, a sum of N300 billion could be earmarked to settle its current liabilities, while the remaining N100 billion would be used a operating expenses (OPEX).
Ogunbanjo however called on President Goodluck Jonathan and other personalities in charge of the privatization process to critically consider this option, or rather ensure a transparent and competitive bidding.
He warned that government and the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) should be wary of unnecessary influences of some existing operators in the system, pointing out that the Chairman of Globacom Limited, Mike Adenuga was already making moves to secure the firm through favouritism.
His words: “We are appealing to all Communications-Friendly Players and Stakeholders not to allow this willing buyer-willing seller sale of Nigeria’s 1st National Carrier – NITEL-MTEL to go to Globacom’s Dr. Mike Adenuga as it will mean too many favours to the detriment of other operators. It will create a monopoly and total possession and control by his person and organization as well as not creating a level-playing field for other network operators and not being competition-friendly. All network players and operators must enjoy a healthy and an enabling competition-friendly telecommunications policies, administration and regulation to the overall benefit of Nigerians in general and Nigerian subscribers in particular,”
It had been reported in a national daily (not the Guardian) that Adenuga was making move through a letter to the presidency to acquire NITEL through an initial offer of $450million (about N67.6 billion). According to the report, he allegedly said Globacom intends to buy NITEL-Mtel through a Special Purpose Vehicle, claiming that it will run distinctly from Globacom.
Ogunbanjo said this does not go down well with the stakeholders, as this will amount to monopolizing Nigeria’s carrier status, noting that “the Nigerian subscribers and the telecommunications industry will cherish a competition-friendly Telecommunications Spectrum given to all industry players and operators and not the concentration of spectrum to favour an operator in the name of SPV’s and willing buyer-willing seller.”
He stressed: “Dr. Mike Adenuga of Globacom Limited should not be given exclusive possession and license to become National Carrier 1 and National Carrier 2, thereby dictating and monopolizing Nigeria’s national carrier status.
“Currently, Globacom is the 2nd National Carrier and the second largest telecommunications network operator in Nigeria. Early in the last decade, the two operators – MTN and ECONET (now AIRTEL) got their Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) licenses to operate the 900 and 1,800 MGZ spectrum for $285 Million (Two Hundred and Eighty Five Million US Dollars) each while Globacom was favoured with buying the GSM license with the 2nd National Carrier Status for $200 million (Two Hundred Million US Dollars), i. e. 900 and 1,800 MGZ Spectrum plus 2nd National Carrier Status.
“In the meantime, it has been alleged that Dr. Mike Adenuga, the Executive Chairman of Globacom Limited is lobbying the Presidency to buy NITEL-MTEL, the 1st National Carrier for $450 million (Four Hundred and Fifty Million US Dollars) thereby becoming the National Carrier 1 and National Carrier 2, a monopoly Nigerian Subscribers and the entire Telecommunications Industry cannot afford.” He stated.
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