By OKECHUKWU PEACE
Following the fine slammed on it by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), MTN Nigeria has been meeting with the Federal Government to seek special considerations on its N1.04 trillion fine.
Reliable sources say that the MTN management team from South Africa and Nigeria has with the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to seek for understanding.
The telecoms operator which has largest subscriber base in Nigeria, it was gathered, may have agreed to pay the fine to sustain the interest of its telecoms business.
“There have been series of meeting at the Presidency between the Vice President Osinbajo and MTN team both from South Africa and the Nigerian arm. MTN wanted a waiver considering their level of investments in the country, but government did not buy the idea of waiver. Instead, I think there will be concession, but certainly not a waiver. At the conclusion of the meeting, the MTN people negotiated on how to stagger the payment. The Presidency is even angry because MTN was a signatory to the regulation, but they are failing to comply with rules.”, the source added.
It would be recalled that NCC had said that MTN would not escape the fine, owing to the enormity of its implication to national security.
Although NCC had hinted that the issue is being handled by the federal government, the telecoms authority also noted that MTN would risk withdrawal of its licence if its fails to comply with the fine.
NCC said it had consistently engaged Mobile Network Operators, (MNOs) to strictly adhere to the regulations and its business rules in the registration of their subscribers.
