Alton Drags UFRU to Court over Mast Demolitions

Threats of legal action is spouting Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (Alton) left ruffled by the continued demolition of telecom operators’ masts in Lagos state by the Urban Furniture Regulatory Unit (UFRU), Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can report.

Alton is fuming over hardship the demolition of telecom masts by the Lagos government is causing both their operations and subscribers.

The operators had six years ago secured Lagos state high court judgment Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA), which was later, renamed UFRU, restraining it from exercising any regulatory authority over telecom operators in the state. 

The body said that they will protest the sudden reappearance of the old LASIMRA under the disguise of UFRU.

The resort to court action is coming after the body exhausted the option of dialogue.

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had also waded into the issue and advised UFRU to stop further action on demolition of mast in the state.

But UFRU reportedly did not adhere to the agreement.

Fresh trouble started when UFRU recently proceeded with the demolition of a telecoms mast that was still under construction in the Okota suburb of Lagos.

The agency claimed that a stop work order notice was given to the GSM operator to stop construction at the early stage of work, until there was approval for such construction, but that the operator flagrantly ignored the authority of Lagos government and continued with the erection, until it was near-completion.

According Joe Igbokwe, general manager of UFRU, “we noticed that a particular GSM operator was building a base station without approval, after government notice that it was illegal to build base stations and towers in Lagos without permit from the ministry, through its agency, UFRU. For violating the law of the state, it became necessary that we pull down the base station because we are not sure of its strength and its environmental impact assessment.”