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Tag: Adebayo Shittu

  • N50b paid by MTN not part of fine – Minister

    N50b paid by MTN not part of fine – Minister

    The Federal government asked telecommunication service provider, MTN Nigeria to pay N50b for its violation of Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card registration laws, the Minister of Communications said on Wednesday.

    MTN was fined N1.04 trillion by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for failing to register its subscribers in accordance with laid down rules and regulations.

    The downward review of the fine by 25 percent as well as payment of N50b by the telecommunication company later led to investigation of the issue by the House of Representatives.

    Adebayo Shittu told the House of Representatives that his ministry asked the telecommunication firm to pay N50b in respect of the fine.

    Shittu, however, said the money was not part of the fine.

    The minister stated these while making his presentation on the diversification of the Nigerian Economy on the Floor of the House on Wednesday.

    “MTN took the matter to court but later offered to settle it out of court. That was why the company was asked to pay N50b as a sign of commitment to the new deal,” he said.

    He added that negotiation for review of the fine has been stalled due to ongoing investigation of the matter by the House.

     

  • Nigeria loses $287m to software piracy annually – Minister

    Nigeria loses $287m to software piracy annually – Minister

    The Minister of Communications, Barr.  Adebayo Shittu, on Monday disclosed that Nigeria loses about $287 million to software piracy annually.

    Shittu, who said this at a programme organized by the League of Veteran Journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State, said his ministry had taken protection of intellectual property more seriously, adding that it would also continue to ensure enforcement for promotion of creativity in Nigeria.

    He said with the continuous growth in the demand for online workers in the international and local markets, Nigeria was prepared to train its youths and enhance their Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capacity building and skill acquisition.

    He, however, noted that although the ICT potential of the country was vast, low penetration and significant infrastructural shortfalls were hurdles militating against exploring the huge ICT potentials.

  • Photo: What are the ministers talking about ?

    Photo: What are the ministers talking about ?

    VP PROF OSINBAJO CHAIRS FEC ON BUDGET 3. R-L; Minister of Defence Brig general DAN-Ali, Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun and Minister ofCommunications, Chief Adebayo Shittu during an emergency Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting looking into the submitted 2016 budget at the State House in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. APR 8 2016.
    VP PROF OSINBAJO CHAIRS FEC ON BUDGET 3. R-L; Minister of Defence Brig general DAN-Ali, Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun and Minister of Communications, Chief Adebayo Shittu during an emergency Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting looking into the submitted 2016 budget at the State House in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. APR 8 2016.
  • More sanctions await telcos, says Minister

    More sanctions await telcos, says Minister

    The Minister of Communications Technology, Mr Adebayo Shittu, yesterday said the Federal Government would impose severe sanctions on telecos und to have defrauded Nigerians through poor quality of service, incessant dropped calls and other unauthorised charges.

    He accused the operators of under-declaring revenue and profit, saying the Federal Government would henceforth take advantage of new technology to verify the amount of revenue generated by operators via government regulatory and revenue agencies such as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

    Speaking during his maiden meeting with carriers in Abuja, Shittu said his office has been inundated with complaints, petitions and allegations of fraudulent and unauthorised charges by the global system for mobile communications (GSM) service providers in the country.

    He said he had to intervene following reports that “these unauthorised charges have been so prevalent.

    “This action must stop immediately or else severe sanctions will be imposed on any operators that violate this directive.”

    Those at the meeting were MTN Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ferdi Moolman, and Mrs Amina Oyegbola, Airtel Director of Legal Services, Mr Shola Adeyemi, while Etisalat was represented by its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Mattew Wilsher and Malam Ibrahim Dikko. Globacom was not represented at the meeting which was also attended by the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta.

    The minister listed the complaints against the telecommunication operators as extortion of subscribers, incessant drop calls, poor quality of service, dead or salient calls and cross talk, data bundle roll over and call tariff plans.

    Others are deficiency in data penetration, rollout of 4G/LTE network, under-declared revenue and profit, disengagement of Nigerian tax paying employees through out-sourcing to foreign companies and discrepancy and discriminination against Nigerian employeees by telecom operators.

    Shittu said: “There is a need for all network operators to consider rolling over the monthly unused data by the subscribers to the new month. No operator should wipe out the unused data of any subscriber going  forward.”

    He added all tariff plans introduced by the telecom operators need to be properly investigated to ensure that there are no hidden charges.

  • ‘I’m prepared for Senate appearance over N50b MTN fine’

    ‘I’m prepared for Senate appearance over N50b MTN fine’

    Communications Technology Minister Adebayo Shittu yesterday said he is prepared to appear before the Senate over the payment of N50billion by MTN.

    The payment was part of the N780billion fine imposed on the telco by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over subscriber identity module (SIM) card registration rule violation.

    Speaking after paying working visits to MainOne, MTN and Globacom in Lagos yesterday, he said the legislators only wanted to clarify if indeed the money had been paid and if MTN had withdrawn the legal action it instituted against the Federal Government.

    “Well, I will be happy to appear before the Senate. There cannot be Senate without the Executive and in a democracy, there cannot be an Executive without the Legislature. We work together for a common goal.

    “They have invited me to clarify issues and I am more than prepared to appear before the National Assembly tomorrow (today). The simple exercise I have to do is to clarify the issue of whether the N50billion supposed to be paid by MTN has been paid and whether the case it instituted against the NCC has been withdrawn,” the minister said.

  • $3.9b fine: Nigeria to hold fresh talks with MTN

    $3.9b fine: Nigeria to hold fresh talks with MTN

    The Federal Government will start new talks with South African mobile phone operator, MTN “very soon” to settle a dispute over a $3.9 billion fine, but the final decision rests with President Muhammadu Buhari, the communications minister said.

    “It is (now) for government to meet with them and conclude negotiations,” Adebayo Shittu told Reuters on Wednesday.

    MTN said last week it had withdrawn a lawsuit against Nigeria over the original $5.2 billion fine.

    The telecommunications firm was fined for failing to disconnect unregistered SIM users and has paid $250 million towards a settlement of the matter.

  • No plan to handover NIPOST to foreign managers – Minister

    No plan to handover NIPOST to foreign managers – Minister

    The Minister of Communications and Technology, Mr Adebayo Shittu said Monday that the Federal Government has no plan to hand over the operations of the Nigerian Poster Service, NIPOST, to foreigners.

    He dismissed as untrue insinuations that the government had concluded arrangements to allow foreign managers operate NIPOST and reposition it for profitability.

    The Minister in a statement signed by his media aide, Mr Victor Oluwadamilare described the insinuations as misleading, but however noted that the government was committed to turning the fortunes of NIPOST around for profitability.

    Mr. Oluwadamilare also announced that the minister has streamlined the appointments of his aides.

    Accordingly, he said, Messrs Abdullah Adeyanju Binuyo is now Special Assistant (Technical); David A. Awotunde, Special Assistant (Admin); Victor Oluwadamilare , Special Assistant (Media) and Hon. Razak Bayo Olubodun –,Personal Assistant.

    “This development which is with immediate effect, is in line with the Federal Government guidelines on the appointment of aides by Ministers,” he added.

    On the issue of NIPOST he said: “our attention has been drawn to various insinuations making the rounds on the social media and a section of the Nigerian press to the effect that the Ministry of Communications was said to have concluded plans to hand over NIPOST to foreigners to manage.

    “Ordinarily, we would have ignored the innuendoes, as there is no iota of truth in the said story, except for the likelihood of Nigerians being misled on our genuine intentions to reposition and revitalise NIPOST.

    “In putting the records straight, the Government of the day has no plan whatsoever to either privatize NIPOST nor hand it over to foreigners to manage. This could only happen in the imagination of those who concocted and orchestrated the rumour to achieve only their inordinate mischief.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, and as stated at different fora by the Minister of Communications, Barrister Shittu, Our vision of the new NIPOST is a total transformation from being a mono-product service organisation to a one-stop multi-product service provider with the ultimate aim of making it a cash-spinning establishment that can make meaningful contribution to the country’s revenue base.

    “Such transformation will no doubt, entail diversification of services which will include rendering robust and all-inclusive financial services, utilising post offices across the country for rural telephony services, commercialising NIPOST’s fleet of vehicles, running a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and expansion of the stamp duties processes among others.

    “Barrister Shittu, an avowed nationalist is a patriotic Nigerian who is wholly committed to the sustenance of our national institutions and legacies will never join the league of those hell-bent in selling off our common heritage,” the statement added.

  • FG to investigate MTN’s payment claim – Minister

    FG to investigate MTN’s payment claim – Minister

    The Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, on Wednesday said the ministry would investigate claim by South African mobile telecommunication giant, MTN that it has paid 50 billion naira into government’s coffers towards a possible settlement of the dispute with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

    The minister also said the firm’s claim that it has withdrawn the matter from court is being investigated by government.

    The Special Assistant on Media Affairs to the Minister, Mr. Victor Oluwadamilare, told The Nation that government’s position on the matter has been made clear, but MTN went to court for reasons best known to it.

    He said: “Government’s position on the matter is sacrosant, MTN secured 25 percent reduction on the fine imposed by the regulatory body. Suddenly, it proceeded to court to challenge the government. Now we are told they have withdrawn the case from court and have paid 50 billion naira to government.

    “Well, I can tell you on behalf of the Minister of Communications and Technology that we are studying the situation. If it is confirmed that they have withdrawn the case from court and have paid the said amount, then the government would make its position known on the matter.”

     

  • Buhari to make ‘final decision’ on MTN fine

    Buhari to make ‘final decision’ on MTN fine

    President Muhammadu Buhari will make the final decision on a $3.9 billion fine on the mobile service provider, MTN, the telecommunications minister said on Tuesday.

    Adebayo Shittu also told journalists that MTN might be advised to withdraw a court case filed against the fine.

    “If they withdraw it creates a better environment, an environment where there is no stress or pressure on either side,” Reuters quoted the minister as saying on the fine imposed on the firm last year.

     

  • Minister suspends NITDA DG

    Minister suspends NITDA DG

    The Minister of Communications and Technology, Mr. Adebayo Shittu has suspended the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Peter Jack indefinitely for “misconduct”.

    The suspension in a statement by the Special Assistant on Media to the Hon. Minister of Communications, Victor Oluwadamilare, took effect from Wednesday.

    The statement said the suspension became imperative on the strength of deluge of petitions regarding several alleged wrong doings in NITDA and subsequent preliminary findings of an Investigative Committee set up by the Ministry.

    It added that” the petitions against Mr Jack relates to illegal employments not approved by the appropriate authority and procurements carried out in direct contraventions of laid down rules and procedure unknown to Civil Service administration in Nigeria”.

    The statement reads:”Some of the infractions identified by the Investigative Committee made up of three senior Ministry officials include unauthorised illegal recruitment of additional staff totalling 245 within a spate of seven months.

    “According to the Committee’s startling findings, “as at 29th May, 2015, NITDA only had a staff complement of 74. But from May, 2015 to 31st December, 2015, additional 245 staff were employed in questionable circumstances despite clear instruction from the Ministry directing suspension of employment in the Agency”.

    “These disclosure were deduced from the records provided by Mr Jack, although he was unable to provide concrete information on whose authority he embarked on the massive recruitment and who granted him the authority for officials to be seconded to NITDA from other MDAs”, the statement added.

    “Prior to this development, the suspended DG was specifically directed by the Ministry not to embark on a recruitment exercise purported to have been scheduled for 17th December, 2015, but he defiantly went ahead to recruit without authority.

    “On the alleged financial misdemeanour, the Committee opined that the situation in the Agency would require a more detailed professional auditing of NITDA’s finances to determine the true state of the financial health of the Agency.

    “Consequently, Mr. Jack has been suspended from office as NITDA’s Director-General so as to allow for further independent investigations of his stewardship in the last three years.

    “Meanwhile, Dr. Vincent Olatunji has been named as the acting Director-General of the Agency with immediate effect, pending the outcome of the planned investigations.

    “Dr. Olatunji, until his appointment was the Director of Corporate Strategy and Research in the Agency. He joined NITDA in 2002”