Only MTN Is Making Profit In Nigeria’

The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr. Eugene Juwah, says the only telecommunications service provider making profit in the country is MTN.

Juwah made this known on Tuesday in Abuja at the commencement of a two day public hearing by the Senate Committee on Communications on the deteriorating services by GSM service providers.

He told the committee that records available to the NCC showed that other networks were not making any profit from the statutory account presented to the NCC by the service providers.

“Statutorily they present us with their accounts because they have to pay us some levy based on their accounts.

“So, we see their accounts and see the ones making profit and the ones that are not making profit, ”Juwah.

The committee was apparently not satisfied with this revelation as the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Gilbert Nnaji (PDP-Enugu) said it was presumptuous for the NCC boss to make such revelations.

“Executive vice chairman remember that you are under oath and you have to be careful in whatever you are saying, and whatever figure you are giving to us.

“There is no way we can agree that it is only MTN that is making profit in the telecom industry in Nigeria, so what you are not sure of, you better say that you are not very sure of it,” Nnaji said.

The committee advised the NCC to go back and double check the accounts of the other telecommunications companies to substantiate their claim that only MTN was making profit.

Juwah had earlier told the committee that some of the challenges the service providers were facing included lack of commensurate infrastructure in the market and the growing number of subscribers.

He said the companies were also saddled with the issue of multiple registration and multiple taxation in the states and local governments.

The NCC boss also told the committee that the FCT had in the last two years failed to provide facilities to the service providers for the building of base stations.

Speaking on health hazard of base stations, Juwah said this was not true, since a research had proven that base stations did not constitute health problems to people.

There had been several complaints from Nigerians over the poor quality of services being provided by the GSM companies.

This had led the Senate to mandate the committee to investigate the activities of the service providers with the aim of evolving a lasting solution.

The public hearing continues.