Business Briefs
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THE Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has started a clamp down on delinquent internet service providers in Ibadan, Oyo State. Mostly affected are those defaulting in regularising their operational licenses and those who failed to remit one percent of their annual turnover to the commission.
The hammer of the commission fell on the Skannet General Data Engineering and the company was sealed off for failing to obtain its operational license since it began operation in 2005. Apart from the several invitations and letters sent to its managing director to regularise its operations in line with the laid down rules, procedures and laws governing such, the NCC officials said the owner always turned a deaf ear to the commission.
Irked by the indifference of Skannet General Data Engineering Services, the NCC team led by Banji Ojo, Zonal Controller, Ibadan Zonal Office, said the commission was left with no other option than to seal up the place. Ojo said the company was sealed for running Internet Service Provision, ISP, in the last 10 years without a regularised operating licence and other levies worth N5 million.
“This company has failed to regularise its operating licence which expired in 2005. We have been monitoring them and even met with them on several occasions on this issue but they refuse to comply. The last time their Sunday Folayan, chief executive officer, attended one of our meetings in Abuja, he promised to comply and pay in instalment but he has refused to do so,” he said.
Ojo said the implication of the seal up was that the firm could not be opened until it complied fully with the rules and regulations of operating such ISP. He said the NCC, which had provided opportunities for businesses to thrive, was not interested in shutting down businesses but absolute compliance with the rules. He warned other erring companies to always comply with the rules of their existence and operations, saying violators would be prosecuted.
Responding to the allegations, Olaide Latinwo, manager of the company, who said the allegation was shocking, questioned why the NCC had failed to enforce compliance in the last 10 years. “We received with mixed feelings the allegations that our company has not been law abiding. I believe if truly this is so, the NCC ought to have enforced compliance within the long period,” she said.
Latinwo, who said that she joined the organisation a year and half ago, said her boss would be in the best position to answer all questions. All the staff of the firms was ordered out of the office as the stern looking police officers assisted the commission officials to seal the building.
— Oct 5, 2015 @ 01:00 GMT
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