Ten states and parts of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) may soon face telecommunications services blackout following tax disputes between Kogi Government and mobile network operators.
Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators (ALTON), made this known on Monday in Lagos while briefing newsmen on issues affecting the nation’s telecommunications industry.
The ALTON chief said Kogi State Government had allegedly shut down 150 telecoms base transceiver stations belonging to mobile telecoms operators as a result of disputes arising from taxes and levies.
“The operators, comprising MTN, Globacom, Airtel, 9Mobile and Ntel, said that 150 base stations have been shut by the state’s revenue agency, warning that if nothing is done, the effect would lead to blackout in nine other neighbouring states to Kogi and parts of Abuja.
“The states to be affected include, Nassarawa, Benue, Enugu, Anambra, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara and Niger,” he said.
Adebayo said that the tax and levies being demanded by Kogi was ‘unusual’ as they had nothing to do with telecommunications services.
“As a result of these actions by Kogi State Government, our members are unable to refuel power generators in these sites, a situation which has led to the outage of over 150 sites including hub sites across parts of Kogi State.
“This will definitely affect nine states surrounding Kogi namely:- Nasarawa, Benue, Enugu, Anambra, Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara, Niger States. These are States sharing borders with Kogi State), and Abuja the FCT inclusive.
“ALTON is worried that the action by Kogi will jeopardize communication services provided by us to security agencies such as the Nigeria Police Force, the Armed Forces in addition and to other emergency and social services in Kogi and other neighbouring states.
“This will include affecting communication links to bank automated teller machines (ATM) across those states.
“The outage currently being experienced is already affecting the ability of our members to provide uninterrupted service delivery to commercial banks, Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and other critical agencies of government in the aforementioned locations,” he said.
Adebayo said that telecommunications sites were Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) which should be safeguarded against any form of disruption.
He said that the action followed an ex-parte court order obtained by the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KIRS) over unsubstantiated allegations that the telecom operators were in default of tax payments to the state government.
According to him, ALTON members had settled all statutory levies and taxes due to the Kogi State Government and have taken the necessary steps to comply with local laws that govern business activities within Kogi State.
He said that state governments were encouraged to explore other means of resolving tax-related disputes rather than sealing telecommunications sites.
Adebayo noted that operators had made several overtures to Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KIRS) in the past months in a bid to resolve the disputed issues amicably but the agency had remained adamant.
He added that rather than resort to the Tax Arbitration Tribunal for intervention as is expected of a government agency, KIRS resorted to subtle intimidation by getting the site's shutdown in a bid to coerce the operators into accepting the “illegal” taxes and levies.
The police in Niger have arrested six persons suspected to have been involved in the stoning of Gov. Abubakar Bello in Bida town on Thursday, March 8.
Mr Dibal Yakadi, the Commissioner of Police in Niger, confirmed the arrests in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) in Minna on Wednesday.
Bello had gone to assess the damage on Bida Old Market, which was burnt on March 1 and to sympathise with traders affected by the incident.
On the occasion, some youths booed the governor and pelted his official vehicle with stones.
The night fire destroyed 900 shops and the governor donated N20 million to the fire victims to help lessen their pains.
Yakadi said the police had commenced an investigation to establish those who sponsored the action.
”As soon as we finished our investigation the suspects will be charged to court,” he said.
Yakadi said the command would not tolerate any act capable of disturbing the peace of the state and warned the people, especially the youth, to desist from all forms of political violence and thuggery.
The commissioner charged the youth not to allow themselves to be used as agents of destruction as anyone caught would be made to face the law.
” We will ensure diligent prosecutions of all those involved so as to serve as a lesson for others who are thinking in the same direction,” he said.
Yakadi said the command had already taken proactive security measures to deal with any form of security threat to peace in the state.
…directs arrest of hoodlums
The timely intervention of Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani-Bello saved the lives of students of Army Day Secondary School, Minna attacked by some hoodlums from bleeding to death on Friday.
Two students of Army Day Secondary School were attacked by the hoodlums on their way home after school hours in front of the gate of the Niger State College of Education, Minna.
Governor Sani-Bello who was on official assignment to Tunga Malam, in Paikoro Local Government area ordered his convoy to stop at a sight of the some students soaked in blood from injury sustained from the attack by some hoodlums.
He then directed his personal physician, Dr Ahmad Shehu to stabilised the victims before the ambulance on his convoy rushed the injured students to IBB Specialised Hospital Minna for further treatment.
No sooner the hoodlums who were alleged to have come the neighbouring Sango area of the state capital saw the convoy that they took to their heels to avoid been arrested by the security operatives of the governor.
Governor Sani-Bello then directed the state Commissioner of Police Mr Paul Yakadi to effect the arrest of the hoodlums and ensure their prosecution.
“This is unacceptable. We will not tolerate this impunity. How can some hoodlums attack students on their way home after school. I have directed the Commissioner of Police to ensure that all those responsible for the attacks on these students are arrested and prosecuted.
“We will continue to ensure that our people continue to enjoy relative peace and arresting the hoodlums will serve as deterrent to others with same intentions.”
“Parents and guardian should rise up to their responsibility. We have to keep watch on our children, ensure effective monitoring of our wards, the kind of company and peer group they associate themselves with,”
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