…Enforcement against licensees with expired licences across states
The Commission carried out enforcement exercises against Licensees operating with expired licences in Lagos, Kano, Jigawa and Rivers States.
Lagos
In Lagos, the offices of Xnet Security Technologies Limited was sealed. The Company also paid Six Hundred Thousand Naira (₦600, 000.00) as part payment of its Annual Operating Levy (AOL) which total was ₦2,400, 000:00. Commission allowed that balance of the AOL to be paid within six months.
Jigawa:
In Jigawa, Galaxy Wireless was found to have an outstanding spectrum fees and National Numbering plan fees of ₦3.85 Million. Commission then commenced enforcement processes against the company on March 6th, 2019. However, because the company provide services to the Jigawa State Government, it sought the intervention of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) who requested NCC to stay of action for 2 weeks for to enable the company to make arrangement for payment. On 12th March 2019, the Company informed the Commission that it had paid fully paid the outstanding fees.
Kano
In Kano, Ihsan Hajara Ltd by a letter dated September 21, 2018 requested the Commission to suspend its license, while Electronic Connections Ltd forwarded the document requested by the Commission, that is the audited financial account for the years ended 2016, 2017 and 2018. Therefore, Electronic Connections Limited was exempted from the enforcement action by the Commission. The office of Aurora Wireless Ltd was locked and enforcement could not be carried out against it.
Rivers
In Rivers, on March 6th, 2019, an enforcement team visited Atlantic Geodynamics Nigeria (Atlantic Fluid Services) Limited in Port-Harcourt for failing to fulfil its outstanding obligation since 2017. It was observed that the company no longer carried out ISP services. The company claimed it had written to inform the Commission in 2017 of its closure and also sent a correspondence to the Commission in October 2018 regarding its AOL obligation but noted that it was yet to receive a response from the Commission. Consequently, since the company said it had stopped operation, the Commission’s enforcement team disconnected the company’s radio antennas. The Company was also requested to respond to the pre-enforcement notice dated December 12th, 2018.
Regional Sensitisation Workshop on the Dangers of Patronising Fully-Activated SIM Cards
The Commission organised a sensitisation workshop on the dangers of patronising fully-activated Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards in the six (6) geopolitical zones. The workshop kicked off on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 in Lagos, which had in attendance the major mobile network operators (MNOs) and their respective vendors.
Status Update on Enforcement Exercise on SIM Card Registration outside Controlled Environment
The Commission received update on the status of the enforcement action in respect of SIM card registration outside a controlled environment in Gombe, Gombe State. It was reported that 2 persons were convicted for a period of 6 months each, while one person was released on bail and one person acquitted by the Court.
NATCOM’s outstanding Obligations
The Commission, on January 10, 2019, issued a pre-enforcement notice to NATCOM Development & Investment Ltd (NATCOM) in respect of its outstanding financial obligations to the Commission i.e. National Numbering Plan Fee, Spectrum Fee, Annual Operating Levy (AOL) Fee and a deadline of March 31st, 2019 to pay the outstanding obligations.
- Mitigating Incidence of Pre- Registration of SIM Card by 9Mobile
9mobile updated the Commission on the additional steps taken to deal with the incidence of illicit registration/activation and sales of SIM cards by some of their agents. A list of one hundred and thirty six (136) blacklisted/deactivated 9mobile SIM registration agents was forwarded to the Commission. The blacklisted agents were sorted out according to States/LGA basis and circulated to other MNOs.
