Sixteen days after the expiration of the deadline given to MTN to pay N1.04 trillion for violating the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) rules on SIM card registration, the Minister of Communications Technology, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, has said President Muhammadu Buhari, is yet to take final decision on the telecoms company’s appeal.

He appealed to Nigerians to wait for the president’s decision on the matter.

Fielding questions on the sideline after declaring open a national workshop on cybercrime, organised by the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) in Abuja, he however, admitted that government has not reviewed the fine.

THISDAY gathered that MTN has made several appeals for leniency and reduction on the quantum of the N1.04 trillion penalty.

The minister said: “What has happened is like you have a court judgment, once the judgment is in place and unless it is reviewed, it remains a valid judgment. The fine has not been reviewed, there is an appeal to the president, but he is yet to take a decision. So Nigerians must await the decision of the president on the matter.


“I have said this times without numbers, that when MTN committed this infraction, the present government hasn’t come in place. The previous government looked at the other way. It was when a new Executive Vice-Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta, resumed at NCC that he discovered the violations and applied the appropriate regulations.”

Shittu said government was committing huge resources into fighting cybercrime, adding that the negative effects of cybercrime cannot be quantified.

“Look at the amount of fraud that goes on in the banking sector, look at the amount of fraud that goes on by the use of internet a lot of people are being defrauded particularly foreigners using the internet
While commending CTO for their efforts in educating Nigerians on the menace of the crime aimed at mitigating it, he said: “This workshop is designed to find all the means we can get from the global community who have experienced it, to utilize and so the purpose is to design means to try to identify the various aspects and the various modes of committing crimes through the cyber space.”

Also responding to questions on the MTN fine from the sideline, Danbatta admitted that the N1.4 trillion fine slammed on the telecommunication giant was still receiving attention.

He said: “The deadline has expired, that we are aware. What we did was to write to them to acknowledge the letter that they have written to the commission which admitted that they committed a breach in the first place.

“Among other things that have undertaken to good regulatory behaviour and an apology to the Nigerian people as well as well as solicitation of leniency on the quantum of the fine. These things are still receiving attention and we wrote to acknowledge the receipt of the letter in order to ensure that there are no further sanctions of non-compliance as the deadline expires. So they have not broken any rule on that.”

Asked on the NCC’s position on slashing the fine, he said: “I cannot speak for government; I’m not the spokesperson of the government.”

Danbatta said, NCC had been put in motion due process consistent with the regulations in place till the visitation of the fine or sanction. “I wouldn’t say that there is no going back on the fine. We did our job consistent with the Act and other issues are being considered.”

He said NCC in conjunction with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), is setting up a regional centre on cyber security, adding that the centre will be fully equipped with the manpower and tools to fight the menace of cybercrime

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/mtn-fine-buhari-yet-to-take-decision-on-company-s-appeal-says-minister/226995/ lalasticlala, Seun

Booked by end time crew

Okay

laurenziz6:
Booked by end time crew

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I hope they won't sweep this under the carpet, MTN must pay

Y has it got anything to do with buhari.are you telling me NCC doesn't worth their onions
Y must every matter gets to the president

free this 'emptyN' people jare...
if you collect the fine shey petrol go turn #50 ni ?Abi subscription go be #500 - 5G ?
may be na d money una wan use pay d 5k next year.

End time decision

k

handsomeclouds:
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No thanks
U can keep your "END TIME SENSE"

But MTN claimed it had received a letter from NCC advising it to pay less...Mynd44