A group, Network for Best Practice and Integrity in Leadership (NEBPRIL), has called on the President Muhammadu Buhari and National Assembly to halt the proposed sales of 5G spectrum by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
It made the call in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday.
In December 2021, Mafab Communication and MTN Nigeria emerged the two successful winners of the 3.5gigahertz (GHz) spectrum auction for the deployment of 5G technology.
NCC said the auction of the 3.5 Gigahertz (3.5 GHz) spectrum for the deployment of Fifth Generation (5G) technology in Nigeria, will take place on 13 December, 2021.
An official of NEBPRIL, Victor Ogene, a former member of the House of Representatives, said NCC is set to auction two additional lots of the 3.5 GHz spectrum on 5G services, months after the first auction produced the two investor companies at $275 million each.
Mr Ogene, who represented Ogbaru Federal Constituency of Anambra State said the NCC should allow a minimum of two years before undertaking another round of auction.
READ ALSO: 5G: FG hands over spectrum allocation to NCC
He argued that the planned auction will reduce investors’ confidence.
“This development is not only insensitive to the investors and would-be investors, but it also calls to question the government’s policy on the ease of doing business in Nigeria. Nigeria cannot afford to continue on this path of policy inconsistency, as that would continue to harm the drive to attract more investment into the country.
“If a regulatory authority has given a timeline of two years before more licenses would be on offer, integrity demands that such a directive is upheld in order to build and retain the confidence of both investors and consumers in the sector.
“We, therefore, call on President Buhari and the leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly, to urgently take steps to put a stop to this obvious attempt at official malfeasance in the telecommunications sector,” he said.
Mr Ogene asked the NCC to introduce and license additional Mobile Virtual Network Operation (MVNO) services, which has the potential of stimulating increased activity in the sector, especially given its potentials in creating more employment opportunities and wealth in the nation.
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