Nesrea Gives Telcos Ultimatum on Mast

 The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency has given telecommunication operators in the country up to May 24 this year to submit comprehensive audit reports of their mast and base stations located in all corners of the country.
 
Dr Ngeri Benebo, director-general of Nesrea, said that because of the proliferation and indiscriminate installation of masts and base stations, compiling inventory and audit reports of mobile phone operators in the country has become very necessary in order for her Agency to be able to keep track of development in the telecom industry and ensure strict adherence to the laws guiding masts and base stations installation.
 
Dr. Benebo gave the ultimatum yesterday in Abuja during a consultative meeting with the telecommunication operators.
 
"In this country, telecommunication operators have not deemed it necessary to adhere strictly to relevant laws and regulations guiding the operation of the telecommunication industries. Regrettably, more than five months after the first meeting with telecom operators in the country during which the honourable minister of environment enjoined key stakeholders in the industry to apply precautionary principles in their operations our headquarters and zonal offices have continued to be besieged with public complaints regarding the proliferation and indiscriminate citing of masts and base stations with their attendant environmental safety and health implications on the general public", she said.
 
While appreciating the immense contributions of the telecommunication industry to the growth of the nation's economy, Benebo said that such contributions should not be allowed to impinge on the social and environmental wellbeing of the citizens, adding that her Agency must, at all time balance economic, social and environmental considerations in the quest for mobile telephony development.
"We are now set to play to the game by the rule. We owe Nigerians the duty to ensure a clean, healthy and safe environment. However, we owe the telecommunication operators coommittment and support to ensure a friendly and cordial regulations that govern operations".
When asked to extend the ultimatum in order to give room for enlarged and wider consultations with stakeholders, the Nesrea boss said that the 3-month period was irreversible; adding that failure to comply within the stipulated timeframe would spell doom for any telecommunication operator.
"The three months period is enough for any organization to compile and submit audit reports of their inventory. If you think that we are joking then wait and see what would happen at the expiration of the ultimatum", she warned.