Nigeria - Telecoms operators complain that replacing the head of the regulator is a "bad omen"

[daily champion] The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has described the replacement of an acting Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) for the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) with another acting chief executive as "bad omen."

ATCON President, Mr. Titi Omo-Ettu, made this declaration in Lagos while answering questions from newsmen.

"Replacing an acting EVC with acting EVC is a bad omen," he declared.

According to ATCON president, the association is not contesting the decision of the federal government to appointment whoever it wishes to occupy an office, but wondering that instead of appointing acting EVC to replace another, why not simply appoint a substantive Executive Vice Chairman for the telecom regulatory house.

"Government should go ahead and appoint an substantive Executive Vice Chairman," he advised.

Omo-Ettu also noted that the termination of Ernest Ndukwe's regime at the NCC did not come as a surprise to stakeholders, especially ATCON since that was his second term in office in line with the National Communications Act of 2003.

ATCON, he said, expected the government to have even made the appointment of the substantive EVC a few months before Ndukwe's date of exit at NCC.

"Why should Ndukwe's time expire and the government seems not prepared to appoint a substantive EVC," he lamented.

Pointing that in restructuring the industry, the federal government's effort at putting in place an on-going policy review of the Communications legislation deserves commendation.

"It denotes a vision of a unified Information and Communications Technology industry encompassing a convergence and transformation of our broadcast, telecommunications and computer industries into an ICT industry, which is immeasurably better for our economy," ATCON said.

They equally advocated that government proceeds with caution and resist the simplistic reading in certain quarters of the industry that restructuring means a merger of just two government agencies, that is, NCC and NBC.

"We are aware of the fact that a study report, produced in 2006 has already been so delayed that the document needs to be revised by experts to reflect the pace of change in the industry," ATCON submitted.

Replacing Acting EVC A Bad Omen - Telecoms Association