The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday it would abide by whatever court decided on the suit instituted against it by MTN Nigeria to stop the N780 billion fine imposed on it in October for regulatory infraction.
But until the fine is invalidated by a competent court, the telecom operator is still seen as carrying the fine’s burden on its neck, NCC’s spokesperson and the media aide to the Minister of Communication Adebayo Shittu said in separate interviews yesterday.
“We (NCC) are not gangsters; we will respect court decision. The matter is in court, rule of law is respected by us. Our legal team will advise us on what to do after the expiration of the fine today,” said NCC’s spokesperson Tony Ojobo.
Yesterday, Shittu’s media aide Victor Oludamilare said the government was being cautious of enforcing yesterday’s deadline because of the court case instituted by MTN.
“But this does not mean that the N780bn fine is no longer there. We are only being cautious,” he said.
The minister and NCC’s executive vice chairman, Professor Umar Danbatta, directors in the commission and its legal team may meet in Abuja next week over the issue, a source said yesterday night.
The source, who pleaded anonymity, said though a date has not been chosen for the meeting, it may like deliberate on how best to go about the issue since it is now in court.
