Again, Nigeria’s telecom regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission is set to intervene in the base station imbrioglo between the Kogi State government and MTN Nigeria later this week.
The Kogi State government had last week closed down several base stations belonging to MTN Nigeria, thereby disrupting telecom services in Lokoja, Obajana and other bordering communities.
The government blamed the action on the refusal of MTN to offset an outstanding tax liability of N120 million to the state government. It says MTN only paid a paltry N250, 000. “Paying a paltry N250, 000 out of N120 million is an abuse of the restraining order the state government earlier placed on KGIRS to allow for a peaceful resolution of the dispute,” Jamil Isah, director, legal services and enforcement of Kogi State Internal Revenue had said.
But speaking in Abuja yesterday, NCC’s Executive Commissioner (Stakeholders Engagement), Mr. Sunday Dare said the regulator is expected to meet the Kogi State government’s official Lugard House in Lokoja.
He said the meeting should be able to resolve the issue with the hope that closure of base station will not be an option in dispute resolution as it leads to disruption of telecom services that can possibly threaten security and other national concerns.