Business Briefs
–
THIRTEEN telecoms operators in Nigeria have been declared inactive. Making the declaration, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, the regulatory agency said that most of the telecom operators involved were of the Code Division Multiple Access, CDMA, sub-sector of the telecoms industry. The list of inactive operators, which was posted on NCC’s website, includes one national carrier, one GSM operator, five CDMA operators and six fixed wireless operators.
The operators in question are NITEL, MTel, Starcomms, Reliance Telecoms (Zoom Mobile), Intercellular, MTS First Communications, WiTel, O’ Net (Odua Telecoms), Rainbownet, Monarch Communications, Xs Broadband, Webcom, and Disc Communications. The operators became inactive, following the total loss of their customers to other operators that are currently pulling weight in the industry.
The operators have since gone into extinction and could no longer offer competitive services to their customers, who decided to port to other network operators. The NCC decided to declare the operators inactive to enable it study and circulate the accurate figures of telecoms operators now in operation in the country.
According investigations, majority of the inactive CMDA companies’ fortune took a plunge for a number of reasons including the refusal of local financiers to lend to the operators because of their repulsive financial record. Besides, some of the CDMA operators had over the years regularly and consciously ignored sustained and systematic red flags as their promoters and managers diverted funds meant for expansion into frivolous projects like manufacturing, oil and gas, elections and so on.
The deaths of CDMAs were also quickened by corporate mismanagement because of the fraudulent and self-serving practices of some members of board and management and the overbearing influence of chairmen of CDMAs. Experts have also pointed at the non-compliance with laid down internal controls and operation procedures, biased recruitment exercises and general lacklustre management practices as some of the reasons why the companies have failed to click.
–
NIIMP to Generate 30 Million Jobs
ABUBAKAR Sulaiman, minister of national planning commission, has assured that the proposed implementation of the newly approved National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan, NIIMP, would generate more than 30 million jobs in 30 years across all sectors of the economy. The minister disclosed this in Abuja at a briefing on the 2014 summit on partnership for implementation of the NIIMP.
He said the implementation of the NIIMP would not only deliver quality infrastructure to the country but also create millions of jobs for unemployed Nigerians. He said an estimated 600,000 additional construction workers would be required to maintain and expand the existing infrastructure in the next five years. He added that about eight million people would be required to operate expanding infrastructure, during the same period.
In the agriculture and mining sectors, Sulaiman said implementation of the NIIMP would create additional 20 million and five million jobs respectively over the next 30 years. For sustainable implementation of the plan, the minister said, the document would be sent to the National Assembly as an executive bill for the draft to be translated into a legal framework.
“The NIIMP does not only provide opportunities for deep-pocket infrastructure investors and developer, it also holds promises for all Nigerians. With improved infrastructure services, our economic growth will be accelerated and the standard of living on Nigerians will improve significantly. It will create millions of jobs. An estimated 600,000 additional construction workers will be required to maintain and expand existing infrastructure in the next five years. Also, eight million people will be required to operate expanding infrastructure, during the same period, while additional 20 million and five million jobs respectively would be created over the next 30 years from the agriculture and mining sectors,” he said, adding that the NIIMP would raise Nigeria’s stock of infrastructure from the current 20 to 25 percent of the GDP to at least 70 percent of GDP by 2043.
–
No Charge National Identity Card
THE National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, has refuted the reports in the media that eligible applicants must pay certain amount of money before they could be allowed to enrol for the National Identification Number, NIN. Abdul-Hamid Umar, deputy director, corporate communications NIMC, said enrolment into the National Identity Database, NIDB, is absolutely free, and no citizen should pay for it.
“It has come to the attention of NIMC that certain business centre miscreants posing as NIMC agents, use banners bearing the NIMC or presidential logos at their business centres, and charge eligible applicants for pre-enrolment, making applicants believe they are paying for the NIN or the National e-ID Card. NIMC wants to make it categorically clear that anyone who visits a cyber cafe or a business centre and is charged for pre-enrolment is paying for the use of the Internet which is service rendered by the business centre, and not for the NIN or the National e-ID Card,” he said.
According to Umar, the NIMC is not oblivious of the fact that persons who visit business centres and cyber cafes for online pre-enrolment must pay for the use of internet which is cost of services rendered by the business owners but condemned the report that the payment was either for the NIN or the National e-ID Card or that the money goes to the NIMC. He insisted that the NIMC had no business charging anybody for enrolment into the NIDB. He said any NIMC official who asked for money for registration should reported to the nearest security post.
He enjoined an applicant with access to the internet facility to pre-enrol through the NIMC portal http://ninenrol.gov.ng He said this would make the process safer and faster for eligible applicants.
The deputy director further disclosed that the NIN and National e-ID Card could only be issued to applicants who have successfully completed the enrolment process at the NIMC enrolment centres where they enrolled, and no business centre or individual has the right to do that. He cautioned Nigerians to beware of fraudsters posing as the NIMC agents or staff, and advised applicants to call 0700CALLNIMC or 07002255646 for any enquiry about the NIN enrolment process and procedures.
Compiled by Anayo Ezugwu
— Sep. 29, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT
|
Tags:
