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NCC doubts integrity of sim registration, group faults delay in digital switchover

By Lawrence Njoku (Enugu) and Joke Falaju (Abuja)
22 November 2017   |   3:06 am
The Nigerian Communications Commissions (NCC) has expressed worries over the integrity of SIM registration data generated by operators and their agents.It stated that failure to accurately capture the data of the various telecoms consumers under the SIM registration regulation....

NCC Boss, Umar Garba Danbatta

The Nigerian Communications Commissions (NCC) has expressed worries over the integrity of SIM registration data generated by operators and their agents.It stated that failure to accurately capture the data of the various telecoms consumers under the SIM registration regulation was dangerous to national security, stressing that the development resulted in serious issues between it and the operators.

Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, who stated this at a Zonal Sensitisation workshop in Enugu attributed the problem to the state of corporate governance practice of the operators.

He stressed that the commission was poised to address it and boost investors’ confidence through accountability and policy disclosures.He explained that the Code of Corporate Governance was introduced giving the international nature of the communication business and how to fully align NCC’s business processes and standards to attract and retain investment and capital to the sector.

The codes, he said, are ethics, integrity, accountability and responsiveness.He added that the essence of the one-day workshop was to sensitise, inform and enlighten the industry stakeholders and general public of the existence of the code and also to draw their attention to the adopted international best practices and principles.

Speaking on Adherence to Good Corporate Governance as Tool for Consolidating the Gains of the Industry, he said poor governance results to unhealthy operations in the sector.

He, therefore, sought total compliance to the stipulated code, saying that no serious corporate entity can claim non-adherence to international best practices or non-adherence to ethical practices.

Meanwhile, a coalition of civil society groups has faulted the delay in the switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting in the country, blaming the cabal for the situation.

They said Federal Government’s failure to meet the switchover deadline was due to alleged misappropriation of funds and sharp practices in the industry and charged the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, to address the issue.

The group alleged that evident records has shown that Integrated Television Service Limited (ITS) has been used as a conduit for diverting public funds to the detriment of the efficient implementation of the Digital Switch Over project.

National Coordinator, Empowerment for Unemployed Youths Initiative (EUYI), Solomon Adodo; Transparency Advocacy for Development Initiative (TADI), Yomi David, Civil Society Advocacy Group for Accountability and Probity (CSAGAP) Okpanachi Jacob; Royal Empowerment for Development Initiative, Adebimpe Adeboye and Integrity Leaders International Development Initiative, Raymond Obuseh, among others said they would be left with no option than to protest if the situation remains the same.

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