The Kogi State Government, through its Utility Infrastructure Management and Compliance Agency (KUIMCA), has shut down base transceiver stations (BTS) belonging to telecommunications operators over tax default.
This could lead to service outages in Kogi and its environs, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the coming days once the sites run out of diesel.
Describing the situation as an emergency, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, in a chat with The Guardian yesterday, said the development is totally at variance with the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) Gazette recently signed by President Bola Tinubu.
Adebayo called on the National Security Adviser (NSA) and other critical stakeholders for their urgent intervention in the interest of national security.
“The infrastructure sealed belongs to about two infraCos, and it has affected multiple operators in Kogi, Abuja, and neighbouring states. The challenge is that the utility agency that went up to lock up the site can not lock up a site that is a federal site without a court order. A utility agency is not supposed to be a revenue-generating agency.
“This is an affront to the Office of the NSA. Those doing these are government actors that should be called to order. Some arrests should be made under the CNI. This is very important. Otherwise, the Office of the NSA becomes toothless. We must show examples of what we are talking about.
“This has gone beyond the operators; it speaks more about our national security. The sites affected would affect others, and that is a red zone in terms of security in the country. Abuja will be affected by this development because those sites are linked to the FCT,” he stated.
While Kogi is famous for sealing BTS, Adebayo said the state and agents have been engaged, stressing that the meetings always end in stalemate because of outrageous demands.
According to him, a third party needs to look at the issue because Kogi can not be a judge in its matter.
According to him, the state agents are demanding hundreds of millions.“I may not be specific now, but as of the last one before this new sealing, they were demanding about N1 billion. Most of these claims are historical requests, including demand site compliance assessments for the last five years. Most have no basis with the current,” he stated.
Adebayo emphasised that services would be impacted, stressing that support for security agencies would be affected, and that financial institutions would be affected as well, among others.
“This is a small issue with very big implications, and they are things the Federal Government can solve for us immediately. As it is now, the matter will be dragged on for another two to three days; this will affect the quality of service and experience. It is a problem that is avoidable. Something needs to be done and very fast,” he stated.
The Guardian got across to KUIMCA, which claimed the matter was an administrative issue.
A KUIMCA official, Taofik Isah, claimed: “It is just a minor administrative compliance issue, which has been resolved. We have met with the management of the affected operators and resolved the issue. There is no issue.”
Credit: The Guardian
