NCC, Leadership Bicker over Racketeering Allegations

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) frequency band racketeering allegations are taking yet another turn today as the upper and lower arms of the National Assembly committees indicated they may launch probes.

Leadership Newspaper had reported yesterday (Thursday) that the NCC has sold frequency band 450MHz occupied by the police since 2009 to Open Skys Ltd for a paltry $6 million instead of the over $50 million the spectrum is reportedly worth.

But the NCC insisted this morning in a statement by Reuben Muoka, head, Media & Public Relations that the sale was transparent and competitive.

“The Frequency spectrum allocated to the Police by the Commission is intact and has not in any way affected by the allocation” Mouka added.

In a seeming web of claims and counter charges, the Leadership Newspaper countered the NCC reporting that “in spite of the NCC's denial Open Skys was issued frequency band licence without an operating licence, a condition forbidden by the Act setting up the NCC.

Though the NCC claimed its process was transparent and competitive, it did not provide the names of the companies that bid for the frequency ban with companies under reference. Its statement also failed to mention the date when the Board met to approve the allocations” the newspaper added.

The newspaper also reported that the National Assembly has waded into the racketeering scandal after being guided by its Thursday’s story.

According to the newspaper the Senate committee which met behind closed doors decided to write the commission to explain.

“But it was not so for their lower chamber counterparts as they expressly wrote the NCC executive vice chairman, Dr. Eugene Juwah, demanding explanations on the matter.

However, a source in the Senate committee who pleaded anonymity said the committee could not make a definite statement on the matter until the key actors explained their side of the story”

NCC has maintained that, "the story in its entirety lacks basic understanding of frequency allocation and its processes involved, resulting in unsubstantiated information capable of misleading the public and industry stakeholders."