Buhari seeks comprehensive report on NITEL sale

ITRealms:

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Federal Ministry of Communications Technology (CommTech) to submit to his office a comprehensive report on the sale of the Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) and its mobile arm, MTel, reports ITRealms.

The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Media & Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu confirmed to to ITRealms, saying President Buhari gave this directive Tuesday while giving audience to the leadership of the Ministry, Departments and Agencies under CommTech,led by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Tunji Olaopa, President Buhari gave this charge, saying that the continued protests of former NITEL employees and other Nigerians over the manner in which assets of the company were sold have become a call for concern.

He also expressed optimism on potential of increasing revenue-generation potential of Nigeria's information and communication technology sector.

Equally, Buhari directed the Ministry to bring forward for his consideration and approval, all pending proposals for the development of the country's ICT sector which require the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

"Where you don’t need EXCO approval and you are not in breach of the law and will not lose money, you can go ahead. Now that oil costs less and we are contending with its theft, we have to move to areas where we can realize revenue quickly,” Mr. President said.

He welcomed plans by the Ministry to use post-offices across the country for financial inclusion, especially in the rural communities, stressed that he was happy to hear that “we are recovering the post offices from rats and rodents.”

The Ministry’s presentation to the President dwelled heavily on the potential of the ICT sector which, Dr. Olaopa said, contributes 10 per cent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but could grow to 20 per cent if some proposals by the Ministry are approved and implemented.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) +ITRealms DSA
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Pix: R-L; President Muhammadu Buhari Permanent Secretary Communication Technology, Dr Tunji Olaopa, Post Master General, Alhaji Mori Baba, Director General/CEO National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr Peter Jack, Director Policy Research and Statistics, Mrs. Nima Salman Manni, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta, Managing Director Galaxy Backbone, Yusuf Kazaure, Managing Director NigComSat, Abimbola Alale, Director ICT Ministry of Communication Technology, Mrs Moni Udoh during a briefing session with the President on it’s activities at the State House in Abuja.

NITEL: NATCOM pays up $252.2m … FG approves handover

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The Federal Government may have concluded plans to handover NITEL/MTEL facilities to NATCOM consortium having met the necessary requirements including full payment of $252.251million cost of acquisition repor, according to the deputy chairman, National Council on Privatization Technical Committee Mr.  Haruna Sambo, ITRealms reports.

Mr. Sambo disclosed this at the last meeting of his committee for this administration, saying that NCP has approved the handover following the financial bid for NITEL/MTEL by the bidder, NATCOM consortium.

‘Today, at the council meeting, the council approved the handover to NATCOM consortium, having paid the cost of acquisition. By this approval, the process has come to a closure and the council has mandated the BPE to hand over the two companies to the preferred winner after all due processes are taken care of,” he said.

As said by him, with this, the transaction has come to an end and Council therefore authorize BPE to hand over the two companies NATCOM consortium.

Also Vice President Namadi Sambo, and the permanent secretary of Ministry of Power Mr. Godknows Igali, said that government had settled about 98 per cent of ex-PHCN workers, including their pensions and gratuities directing that any other remaining cases should be referred to the BPE for settlements.

The minister of Mines and Steel Hon. Musa Sada, added that the council also discussed reforms of the National Parks as well as the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) with the aim to restructure the sector and bridge the 17 million housing deficit in the country.

AbdulKareem Mueenah/GEE

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NITEL ‘Guided Liquidation’: ATCON cautions FG on FNO

The president of the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Titi Omo-Ettu has advised the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE) to be wary of the First National Operator (FNO) license in custody of the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) which is in the process of ‘guided liquidation.’

 

ITRealms Online recalls that a few days ago, the Federal Government had proclaimed that NITEL could be disposed under the ‘guided liquidation’ tag, which is expected to make for an easy seal to its potential final destination.

Although in the past, several attempts were made to sale NITEL, these attempts were not successful, ATCON insisted that the First National Operator (FNO) license in custody of NITEL is worth some $2.2 billion, about

Reacting to the recent pronouncement by the Federal Government, ATCON leadership argued that whatever is the meaning of ‘guided liquidation!’ should be explained to Nigerians.

Speaking through its president, ATCON noted earlier call for an Auction of the First National Operator (FNO) license which NITEL is holding while the winding up process continue to navigate its ways that is exactly what government has now done.

As said by him, any liquidation at all, is a technical matter, hence, he refused to claim verse in this particular ‘guided liquidation’ theory.

“I am not versed in the subject so I do not want to let that vocabulary stow into my thought process,” he declared.

Omo-Ettu maintained that he had since 2009 switched off all thoughts about NITEL when he considered that the final end came for the company.

He stressed that he had previously valuated the license that NITEL was holding and came up with a figure which hovered around $2.2billion.

“I did not keep it to myself. I called a press conference and explained the explainable part of the valuation and how it would guide us in knowing what the country stood to gain, or loose, if such estimation was required to guide a decision,” he said.

However, he said that if by ‘guided liquidation’ is meant a process of resting the corporate name called NITEL and doing the best to recoup whatever is left of the whole project called NITEL, then, there may not be readily alternatives.

“I think there is really no other choice than to do just that. Except that it is coming three years late. It may then mean that my position in 2009 synchs with what has now been announced,” he said.

Further, he advised whoever is implementing the ‘guided liquidation’ to take cognizance of the company they are liquidating as it still has in custody the First National Operator License.

Remmy Nweke

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