VisaCard Seeks Customers’ Aid Against Card-fraud

DETERMINED to reduce e-payment fraud related cases to the barest minimum from its current level of less than six cent per $100 of transaction, VisaCard has sort the assistance of its customers to curb the growing menace card-fraud across the world.

Speaking during a press parley to mark the 2016 VisaCard Security Week, Group Country Manager, VisaCard, Mr. Ade Ashaye said that Visa is seeking the assistance of customers in curbing card related fraud due to the rapid growth of the card payment industry.

According to him, customers’ education and awareness on how to prevent card fraud holds the key to winning the war over card fraud saying that the electronic payments industry is innovating at a rapid pace, developing new methods involving cloud-based NFC mobile technology, e-commerce, and in-app payment systems.

He said that all these innovations help make electronic payments easier and more accessible adding that the industry is also working hard at strengthening one of the pillars of its operations, which is security.

Ashaye disclosed that since fraudsters and their methods have become more sophisticated, the card industry must stay updated on potential risks and counter them with measures to predict and prevent fraud.

Emezino Afiegbe (Senior Business Development Leader, Nita Omanga (Director Risk Services Sub-Saharan Africa) Ade Ashaye (Group Country Manager)

He said that the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards, PCI DSS, have set risk management policies and programs in order to define the technical and operation requirements for cardholder data protection.

He said further that the electronic payments networks are implementing steps to prevent fraud and ensure their risk management assets are oriented to new threats, and their systems geared to resist any attacks, and that the adoption of EMV-enabled or chip-enabled cards, tokenization and point-to-point encryption are technologies that will positively shape the card industry in the coming years.

He explained that the global shift towards chip-based EMV cards is the solid foundation for fraud protection noting that the chip serves as a microprocessor embedded in plastic payment cards or mobile phones.

Ashaye stressed that unlike magnetic stripe cards; the data on the chip is dynamic and changes with every transaction, making it complex for criminals to create counterfeit chip cards or fraudulent transactions.

While assuring Visa consumers of secured transactions he revealed that one of the most important initiatives for bolstering security in payments is to foster the collective responsibility of all the units in the payment ecosystem, which is made up of financial institutions, merchants, and card networks.

Director for Risk Services, Visa Card, Sub-Saharan Africa, Nita Omanga, said that there are a number of things that cardholders should know to prevent fraud, which are that they keep their user name and password secret and that they must use only secured internet browsers to secure their data transmission.

She advised cardholders never to respond to emails that ask for personal account information and avoid sending payment information via email saying that they should keep record of transactions and review monthly transaction thoroughly.

Nita counselled cardholders to check the site for the merchant delivery and return policy before making a purchase to ensure items can returned if they are not in satisfactory condition.

“Merchants and issuers who comply with EMV standards benefit from the reduction of potential losses from fraudulent transactions. By upgrading their payment terminals, business owners can significantly reduce the threat of card fraud. The aim of the payment industry is to accelerate this evolution, and government regulation has helped speed the process along”, she said. 

MTN Pays N18.96m For 2.6GHz Spectrum

MTN Nigeria has said that it will use its newly acquired 2.6,Ghz spectrum for which it paid N18.96 billion to the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC) to boost broadband internet access for over 60 million of its customers spread across Nigeria.

The South African owned telecommunications company, which officially made known its acquisition of the spectrum after weeks of speculations following the fulfillment of its payment obligations said the ten-year frequency spectrum license will guarantees superior performance for wireless networks, especially 4G LTE services.

According to the telecoms company, although Nigeria is one of 28 African countries that currently offer 4G/LTE services, the rate of penetration is restricted to a few major cities “as such, MTN’s success in this auction is a big boost to its plan to deliver global mobile broadband and LTE 4G services to over 60 million customers in Nigeria.”

It said that it also plans to use FDD networks in addition to its existing WIMAX over TDD networks, as this provides for greater consistency with existing 2G and 3G deployments.

MTN Nigeria CEO Ferdi Moolman stated that “After complying with all the requirements for the 2.6GHz auction and making the licence payment of N18.96 billion to the NCC, MTN has been issued a letter of award. With the 2.6 GHz band, we expect to roll out and provide the full range of LTE services to Nigerians, empowering Nigeria with the latest mobile broadband technology.”

The award of the spectrum by the NCC was further to an open, transparent and competitive process in which all operators - local and foreign; enjoyed equal and unfettered rights of participation in line with the NCC’s desire for transparency and ensuring a level playing field for all.

The NCC has described this spectrum as a significant trigger for a broadband revolution that will unlock benefits such as greater coverage, access, affordability and innovation, with the customer at the centre of these gains.

Studies by McKinsey have shown that a ten percent  increase in broadband penetration is associated with a 1.4 percent increase in GDP growth in developing markets. As such, the knock-on effect on individuals, businesses and multiple sectors of the economy signal far reaching implications

for socio-economic growth and development.

According to MTN’s Ferdi Moolman, the telecoms company  is very pleased with this development at this time, which is a further step in the right direction for Nigeria adding, “MTN is fully aligned and supports the NCC’s objective to deliver broadband services to present and future generations of subscribers, in line with the National Broadband Plan of 2013.”

He explained: “This license acquisition further demonstrates MTN’s abiding faith in the future of Nigeria and the resilience of the Nigerian economy. MTN continues to believe in Nigeria and we have expressed this belief in the level of our investment, which currently stands at approximately USD 15 billion and counting. We strongly believe that there is need for significant levels of investment in broadband infrastructure and services to truly launch Nigeria into the information age. We are honoured to be the arrowhead.”

He said further that the matter of the fine imposed by the NCC has been amicably settled in the interest of all parties saying, “I am pleased to announce that the first payment of N30 billion in the terms of settlement has already been disbursed to the NCC. In addition to the earlier payment of N50 billion which we paid in good faith and without prejudice on February 24, this means we have now paid a total of N80 billion.”

Moolman disclosed that MTN has also built the most extensive private fibre  optics superhighway in Africa and the Middle East, covering approximately 16,000 kilometres, which is longer than the distance from Indonesia (Asia) to Argentina (South America).

For Ferdi Moolman, the 2.6GHz acquisition has set the stage for the roll-out of 4G LTE broadband internet services across the country, starting in the major cities of Lagos and Abuja.

In his words “Our subscribers, especially those in clustered areas such as the major cities, can expect distinct improvements in browsing speed, quality and experience. This means that they will have fast access to high definition video streaming, as well as conferencing and calling, lag-free music streaming, and improved data uploads and downloads”.

NCC Goes Tough On Corporate Governance, Gives New Compliance Order

In 2014, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, established the code of corporate governance for the telecommunications sector, notwithstanding its existence the Commission, has at several times find itself at loggerhead with the operators and stakeholders by adjusting its code of the code of corporate governance.

THE Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, have set the stage towards preventing further fisticuffs with operators and stakeholders who could undermine its regulatory role by adjusting its principles on corporate governance particularly as it relates to their operation.
  

The NCC has decided to make adherence to the code of corporate governance for the telecommunications sector, which was instituted in 2014 mandatory instead being voluntary, and this time around it comes with sanctions for telecoms operators who flout the code.

Examining the 12 principles of the code, it is obvious that may be decision by the Commission to consult with operators and stakeholders on Tuesday in Lagos over the need to make compliance mandatory maybe connected with recent developments in the sector, particularly the MTN Nigeria fine saga.

At the forum with the operators and stakeholders, which was attended by the Minister of Communication, Barrister Adebayo Shittu and the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, the major thrust of the engagement was the quest for input from them.

Although the Minister and the helmsman of the NCC did not spill the details of the new code to them, it was made clear to the operators that it was not going to be business as usual but it was disclosed that the intent of the code was not for sanctions rather to ensure decorum in the sector.

According to the Minister, the quest to ensure strict compliance to the 2014 code of corporate governance was to new because there are existing codes in other sectors of the economy.

He said the new urge to make compliance strict was because of the need to improve the GDP from the sector, to make the industry more viable for investors and reduce corporate risk.

The NCC helmsman, Danbbatta in his opening remark disclosed that the urgency of mandatory compliance to the bothers on the need to grow the industry bigger, better and more relevant to successive generation.

According to him, a lasting legacy of a strong and virile industry, fit for successive generation worth bequeathing saying that the 12 principles were developed to protect the interest of investors and stakeholders as well as promote time-valued principles of accountability, responsibility, transparency, integrity and ethical conduct.

He revealed that the compliance with the provisions of the code was initially made voluntary for a period of one year, which has since elapse stressing that the shift from voluntary to mandatory compliance is to ensure that all licensees of the NCC still exist 200 years after.

Secretary of the Commission, Barrister Felix Adeoye disclosed that before deciding to move from voluntary level to mandatory compliance, the NCC did an industry survey to ascertain the level of compliance with the code, and that the findings showed that some companies complied with the requirements for board size and composition, while some board had just three members, contrary to the provisions of the code, which stipulates a seven-member board.

He said that most board were passive during the period under review as against the expectations of the code, which required a active board although there were boards that met one in a year, making it difficult for the board to discharge its primary oversight functions.

“Some other companies breached the chairman/CEO duality safeguard provided by the code of combing the chief executive officer’s position with that of the board chairman”, he said.

He re-echoed the position of the NCC boss that non-compliance will be followed with sanctions stressing that “the emphasis is not on sanctions, but in entrenching an abiding culture of good corporate governance practices that will sustain the industry beyond the present generation.”

Consultant to the Commission on the code, Mr. Ladi Smith of SIAO Consulting, recommended a report of each background and reference check of directors of telecos be made available to all members of the board and shareholders prior to his election into the board noting that it is enable them to make their own assessment of the directors.

He also said that there should be a board evaluation performance, which should be conducted annually by an independent external consultant appointed by the NCC saying that the rules, responsibilities and other expectations from the board should form the criteria for evaluation.

Smith said that the appointment of all directors of telecos should be formalised through a letter of appointment, disclosing the terms, conditions and responsibilities suggesting that the board should set up a nomination committee, with the responsibility to assist it in the process of identifying suitable persons to be appointed in the company.

 

He said further that telecos should have an audit committee that must nominate an external auditor for appointment, approve the terms of engagement and remuneration for the external audit engagement while also monitoring and reporting to the independent external auditor.

Smith said that the evaluation report should disclose the process of appraisal of the broad execution of its roles and the responsibilities, areas of improvement and training needs of the directors.

An expert in corporate governance, Prof. Fabian Ajogwu of the Lagos Business School said that the corporate governance will enhance business prosperity and corporate accountability, and that it has the ultimate objectives of realising long term shareholder value.

He observed that it holds the key that enables corporation to attract financial and human capital noting that good corporate governance will address the problem of power controlling shareholders and minority shareholders while at the same time tackling passive shareholders and deference to dominant shareholders.

 

 

Jovago, SiteMinder to Introduce Seamless Online Services

JOVAGO.COM has gone into partnership with hotel industry cloud platform, SiteMinder, to mark its first time enabling seamless online distribution for hotel clients.

The agreement enlists Jovago.com among the more than 300 channels integrated with SiteMinder’s Channel Manager and means mutual hotel clients can now seamlessly update their inventory and room rates to the booking portal.

Global Head of Revenue Management at Jovago, Eduard Posthumus Meyjes said that as the leading channel management provider for hotels globally, partnering with SiteMinder was an obvious decision, saying, “We aim to bring top-notch technology to our hotel partners across all our markets in Africa and SiteMinder offers the right technology to grow our supply of real-time bookable inventory for our customers.”

 General Manager, South Africa at SiteMinder, Lisa Horne, said that SiteMinder is very happy to partner with Jovago by providing its hotel customers another channel to market their inventory and availability through.

“We are particularly proud to provide the first channel management solution that integrates with this on-demand hotel booking platform in Africa. Each of Jovago’s hotel clients benefits from their local presence, and commitment to developing both the continental and global travel market”, he said.

“We have already seen a 15-25% increase in sales and the potential for more traffic in business is even higher, which is testament to the quality of service Jovago.com offers to hotels and the benefits its integration with SiteMinder’s Channel Manager brings,” Sales Manager at Prideinn Paradise Beach Resort and Spa in Kenya, said.

 

Managing Director of Jovago Nigeria, Kushal Dutta, said he believes the partnership is “an innovative step forward”, and that Jovago launched an extranet application for its hotel clients earlier this year, allowing them to reach operational excellence with the online channel by giving hotel managers real-time access to, and control over, their room rates and inventory.

 The booking portal said integration with the market’s leading channel management solution was the logical next step, to offer its hotel clients value-added services.

FG Has no Interest in Telecoms as GDP Earner, Says ATCON

TELECOMMUNICATIONS companies in Nigerian have said that the present government does not have any interest in making ICT the main source of the nation’s economy.

According to the telecoms companies, if the government was serious about making telecoms the alternative to oil and gas as the main source of  growing Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, it would have make it easy for them to access FOREX from the Central Bank of Nigeria instead of leaving them to their fate.

Speaking to experts at a Technology Conference in Lagos, on the topic: Beyond Oil: ICT As a Viable Alternative for Wealth Creation, the President of the Association Telecommunications Companies of the Nigeria, ATCON, Mr. Teniola Olusola said that it is an obvious fact that more than 70 percent of ICT components are currently being imported from abroad.

He lamented that although the sector is contributing circa eight percent “to our Gross Domestic Product. Our members can no longer buy USD$ directly from CBN designated banks again and this has pushed the cost of doing business higher.”

According to him, ATCON has at different fora emphasised the urgent need to diversify partly or completely from depending on the revenue derivable from oil to an ICT driven economy to run our overall economy but we were not taken seriously then.

He said that the ICT sector, if properly developed could serve as a replacement for the Oil and Gas sector in boosting Nigeria’s economy, and that the price of oil has continued to fall uncontrollably which poses a threat to the national economy.

Olusola suggested, “We have to look for a way out by devising viable policy pathways and economic sectors that will enhance national wealth and create employment for the populace, and one of the surest way out, is to give due attention to the development of the Information and Communication Technology sector, for example in India, China, Singapore and Brazil, ICT is used as the basis by these countries to develop innovative solutions, for example, cars that use electric/solar power energy.”

He also advised that to stem the imbalance in the supply and demand of foreign exchange, what the Federal Government needs to consider is to encourage the establishment of companies that manufacture these components (or assemble them) in Nigeria with some incentives and for government to further sponsor ICT parks.

While calling for the refocusing of the nation’s education polices, he said that the number of people who want to study science related courses are small (and in most cases reducing) in relation to students who want to study commercial or social science related courses.

He said that “the trend painted above can never solve our challenges, therefore, we need to begin to redirect the focus of students on the need to study science related courses. The Federal Government should make studying of science courses interesting by providing a conducive learning environment and state of the art laboratory equipment for students.”

The ATCON leader urged the Federal Government should begin to focus more on other alternative means of generating income and their focus should be on increasing government spending and budget allocation to funding the ICT sector for the purpose of making its products and services exportable, thereby allowing it to contribute to our foreign earnings.

He also said that in order for the ICT sector to supplement or replace the Oil and Gas sector, policies which favour the sector must be put in place, and that it should be emphasised that “the petroleum industry which used to be the cash cow for our nation (from a foreign exchange earning perspective) is not doing so well right now and this is a global issue that will take some time to recover.”

He added: “The direct implication of this is that we may not be able to finance our budget without resorting to further government borrowing. ICT can as a matter of fact serve as the new cash cow for the country provided the right polices are put in place.”

Three Lawmakers on US Biz Trip Accused of Rape, Soliciting for Prostitutes

THE United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, has petitioned the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, accusing some members of the lower chamber of improper conduct, attempted rape and soliciting for prostitutes while on official trip to the US. 

But, the affected lawmakers have denied all the allegations and threatened to sue the ambassador and the US government for

“character defamation and a calculated attempt to ridicule the National Assembly.”

The Ambassador, in a letter dated June 9, 2016, addressed to Speaker Dogara, exclusively obtained by New Telegraph, alleged that three members of the House namely: Hon. Mohammed Garba Gololo (APC, Bauchi), Hon. Samuel Ikon (PDP, Akwa Ibom) and Hon. Mark Gbillah (APC, Benue) had, on a recent visit to the United States for the International Visitor Leadership Program, brought disrepute to the parliament by soliciting for sex from prostitutes and grabbing hotel housekeeper in a bid to rape.

Ten lawmakers were invited by the US government for the International Visitor Leadership Program held between April 7 and 13, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. They include: Gaza Jonathan Gbefwi (PDPNasarawa State), Danburam Abubakar Nuhu (APC-Kano State), Nkole Uko Ndukwe (PDP-Abia State), Rita Orji (PDPLagos State), Ayo Huliyat Omidiran (APC-Osun). Entwistle’s letter reads: “It is with regret that I must bring to your attention the following situation.

Ten members of the Nigerian National Assembly recently travelled to Cleveland, Ohio as participants in the International Visitor Leadership Programme on good governance. We received troubling allegations regarding the behaviour of three members of the delegation to the U.S. 

“The U.S. Department of State and the Cleveland Council on World Affairs received reports from employees of the Cleveland hotel where the representatives stayed, alleging the representatives engaged in the following behaviour: “Mohammed Garba Gololo allegedly grabbed a housekeeper in his hotel room and solicited her for sex.

While the housekeeper reported this to her management, this incident could have involved local law enforcement and resulted in legal consequences for Representative Gololo. “Mark Terseer Gbillah and Samuel Ikon allegedly requested hotel parking attendants assist them to solicit prostitutes.”

Entwistle said the US government made efforts to authenticate these allegations. His words: “The U.S. Mission took pains to confirm these allegations and the identities of the individuals with the employees of the hotel in Cleveland.

The conduct described above left a very negative impression of Nigeria, casting a shadow on Nigeria’s National Assembly, the International Visitor Leadership Program, and to the American hosts’ impression of Nigeria as a whole. “Such conduct could affect some participants’ ability to travel to the United States in the future.”

The ambassador acknowledged that “While the majority of Nigerian visitors to the United States do behave appropriately, even a few Nigerians demonstrating poor judgement leads to a poor impression of the Nigerian people generally, though it is far from accurate.

Such incidents jeopardise the ability of future programming and make host institutions and organisations less likely to welcome similar visits in the future.” Entwistle stated that the affected lawmakers did not show remorse when the issue was brought to them.

“In addition, most of the members of this group reacted very negatively to my deputy when she brought this matter to their attention, further calling into question their judgement and commitment to the goals of the International Visitor Leadership Programme.

This leads us to question whether to include National Assembly members for other similar programmes in the future. “I request, in the strongest possible terms, you share this message with members of the National Assembly so they understand the seriousness of these issues, and the potential consequences of their actions, not only for themselves as individuals, but also for the future of such programmes designed to benefit Nigeria,” he said in the letter.

But, Gbillah said that there was no iota of truth in what the ambassador said but a calculated attempt to cause disaffection between them and their wives, families and constituents as they were not given any fair hearing before the letter was sent to the speaker.

He said he was on the trip with his wife and baby and could not, in any way, solicit for sex from a prostitute. He said: “This is an affront on the National Assembly and Nigeria, it appears they have ulterior motives. We are not going to take this lightly; we will take legal actions against the US government. It is a dent on our image.

Narrating the story of their stay in US, Gbillah said: “I went on the trip with my wife and baby and insisted that she stayed with me, but they told me the accommodation was meant for only participants. So, at Cleveland Renaissance where we were, opposite the Quicken Loan Arena, the Cleveland Cavalier Basketball team played a match and many people came to lodge at the same hotel, and they claimed that we spoke with car park attendants.

We didn’t go with cars, so how could we have spoken with attendants?” He explained that the first time he heard about the allegations was a month after they returned from the US and went to represent the speaker at the farewell dinner for the Chinese ambassador. “…

I saw the ambassador (Entwistle) and went to greet him and he told me how a few of us tarnished the image of the House. I advised him to make it formal so that we can know who was involved and what actually happened.

“It was after this encounter that they called us to their premises and said they were identified by their accusers in a group picture. This is curious. No video footage. They didn’t accost us while we were in US. We suspect this is a calculated attempt to rubbish the National Assembly. “Is this how they would have investigated their congressmen? Do they know that there were other black people who came to watch the match? How could they have identified us in a picture without our knowledge?

“We, the concerned members, have written to the speaker indicating the facts and demanding footage of our stay in the hotel. We also want them to provide access to our accusers to identify us. But most importantly, we would be demanding compensation from the US government for defamation of character.”

Also, in his letter to the speaker, dated June 13, Gololo, who was accused of grabbing a housekeeper, said: “Let me, from the outset, express my shock and dismay at the contents of the letter generally and particularly affects me.

“These are totally false, unfounded and baseless allegations against me. I categorically deny any such incident happened, I never grabbed any housekeeper nor did I solicit for sex. I also take this issue very seriously not only because I am a honourable member representing a hallowed institution, but because of my integrity as a husband and father.

How would my family and in-laws react to these wild and grave allegations? “I demand an apology and retraction of these allegations or I shall not hesitate to engage the services of lawyers and not only to clear my name, but to seek redress for the damages done to my reputation. I insist that evidence of the allegations against me be produced….

“It is, therefore, in the interest of both countries to investigate this matter thoroughly to get to the root of it and I am ready to go back to Cleveland at my expense to establish my innocence without prejudice to my rights, press charges against libellous allegations” When contacted, spokesman for the House, Abdulrazaq Namdas, confirmed the receipt of the letter by the speaker.

 All attempts to get Hon. Ikon to tell his side of the story were unsuccessful as his phone number was permanently shut. A member of the House on the delegation expressed shock and disbelief about the incident.

“I cannot believe this. Something must be wrong somewhere. We were all in the same hotel and this same man (Gololo) was there as well. He has all the capacity to get a woman in the city if he wanted to, but he is somebody we all know loves his wife and family so much.

The lady did not even mention names, we learnt she only pointed at the man in the group photograph we took during the programme. “Again, this issue was reported two weeks after we left the hotel. Why was this not done while we were there?

The lady in question did not shout immediately and one wonders if truly there was such thing. “We did not know anything until the letter written to the Speaker went round all of us who were in Cleveland for the meeting. It is shocking,” the lawmaker told New Telegraph on condition of anonymity.

Source:New Telegrapgh 

MTN Fine Saga: Mixed Reactions Trail Lawmakers, Regulators' Standpoints

The lingering MTN fine saga was expected to have ended last Friday following the agreement by the operator to pay a reduced fine as well as adhere to industry regulations as spelt out by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC. But the position of the House of Representatives Committee on Telecommunications on the latest deal has again sparked another round of debate pitching many stakeholders at loggerheads over the lingering fine saga.

WHEN the news broke out last week Friday that the lingering issue on the imposed a fine of N1.04 trillion on MTN Nigeria for infraction of the provisions of the existing laws on telecommunication services in the country had been resolved, there was initial excitement among industry analysts, who had expressed fears over the impact of the crisis on the growth of the sector, and by extension the economy.

 

However, the House of Representatives Committee on Telecommunications’ reaction to the slash of the fine by summoning  the Commission and the Ministry of Communication and the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice to appear before it to explain reasons for the reduction has again opened a new chapter in the seeming unending controversies that have trailed the sanctions over the past seven months.

 

The regulator, NCC had reached an agreement with MTN that the telco should pay N330 billion of the initially imposed N1.04 trillion as final settlement for the infraction .

 

The agreement was the result of several discussions which have been going on for some weeks between MTN, NCC and the Federal Government.

 

It was finally agreed that MTN will pay the NCC the sum of N330 billion in full and final settlement of the fine in line with an agreed payment plan.

 

It was also agreed that beside the monetary settlement, MTN Nigeria is to subscribe to the voluntary observance of the Code of Corporate Governance for the telecommunications industry and will ensure compulsory compliance.

 

The company also agreed to take immediate steps to ensure the listing of its shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange as soon as is commercially and legally possible, and to always ensure full compliance with its license terms and conditions as issued by the regulator.

 

Both parties agreed that these terms of settlement cannot be altered, varied, annulled or modified in any respect, except by writing duly executed by both parties; and the terms of settlement constitute all the terms and conditions of the settlement and supersede and replace any previous offers, representations and terms.

 

In arriving at the agreement, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta said the decision was taken based on professionalism and global best practices and in line with the NCC core value “to be fair, firm and forthright”

 

According to the Commission, it has always carried industry and stakeholders along in taking transparent regulatory actions, adding that at no point will the regulator do anything to jeopardise the business health of the entire sector.

 

“We were careful not to take decisions that were likely to cripple the business interest of the operators we regulate.  Besides, the downturn of the global economy is biting hard on everybody and every sector, so we must therefore be sensitive and flexible in our decisions”, he said.

 

The dates of the payment plan are March 31, 2017-N30 billion; March 31, 2018-N55 billion; December 31, 2018-N55 billion; March 31, 2019-N55 billion and the balance will be in May 31, 2019-N55 billion.

 

 

But the details of the agreement did not go well with the House of Representatives Committee on Telecommunications. They were angry that the agents of the executive arm of government did not think it proper to carry them along in the new deal.

 

In their boiling anger, they summoned all the affected parties, and when they eventually arrived at the meeting the lawmakers were shocked to discover that the leadership of the concerned agency sent representatives for a personal invitation issued them.

 

It sparked further the anger of the lawmakers and threats were issued particularly at the NCC and the Ministry of Communication.

 

It was learnt that the lawmakes were angry because the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami and the  Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Garba Danbata failed to appear personally before its committee.

 

And one of the members of the Committee, Mr. Johnson Agbonayima displayed his anger by walking out of the meeting ever before it started while the other angry members threatened to ensure zero budgeting for the Ministry of Communications and withhold that of the NCC for reducing the fine without recourse to the parliament.

 

Defending their action, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications who represented the Minister, Mr. Sonny Echono, said that Federal Government had 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.

 

According to him, they saw the House’s ongoing investigation as an “independent” effort, whose outcome should not stop the progress so far made.

 

Similarly, the Director of Public Affairs, of the NCC, Tony Ojobo who represented the NCC said that the negotiation process was carried out transparently, and that the outcome has “received the blessing of the highest office of government.”

 

Industry stakeholders who have been watching the whole drama from afar expressed mixed feeling over the actions of both parties saying that it was uncalled for in the interest of the sector.

 

An industry analyst, Chijioke Abuba described the threat from the lawmakers as a welcomed development for the industry saying that there are no threats in the statement of the lawmakers.

 

According to him, MTN Nigeria should be made to pay the actual fine without any form of reduction if they want to remain in Nigeria to do their business, and that the next foreign company that should be compelled by the lawmakers to adhere to the laws of the land is MultiChoice.

 

Another concerned industry stakeholder who does not want to be named said that there was no need for the NASS to issue the threat because “the decision to reduce the fine is in the best interest of our country.”

 

He said that reduction was one of the most brilliant move by the President Mohammadu Buhari led government urging members of “the House of Representative to stop seeking for unnecessary attention and concentrate on their legislative duties and allow the NCC regulate the industry the best way possible, except they are saying that MTN should leave Nigeria for them.”

 

President of the Programos Software Group, Mr. Emmanuel Amos said that fines are bad signs in the first place particularly as it relates to foreign directive investment for a sector that is highly capitally intensive, and that it is not just wrong of an operator alone but for the growth of the sector.

 

He said that although the issue should not generate such discourse, he noted that the regulator will not become a saint overnight in the compromise it caused in the first place by granting such reduction to the violator of the regulatory statues of the industry.

 

“They should rather ensure the system is better regulated and respected by these foreign investors who have joined the corruption band wagon of beating the system with reduced service quality offering at the expense of the masses”, Amos said.