FoI : NCC replies Daily Times, seeks 7-day extension to respond on Etisalat’s $1.2bn loans
The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has replied The Daily Times on its request for information on Etisalat’s $1.2billion loans; and requested for a seven- day extension of time to enable it to respond appropriately.
The NCC’s letter, titled: “Re: Transfer of a Request Pursuant to Section 5 of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI), 2011, was addressed to the Daily Times Editor.
The letter was dated October 31, 2017 and signed by Yetunde Akinloye, Head, Legal and Regulatory Services and Chinelo Ofomata, Assistant Director, Legal and Regulatory Services on behalf of the Executive Vice Chairman /CEO.
The letter reads in part: “We received on October 23, 2017, a letter from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) dated October 20, 2017, and received on October 23, 2017 in respect of the above subject. The said letter forwarded your letter, dated, July 4, 2017. A copy is attached for ease of reference.
“Please note that your request is being processed by the commission. However, as provided for in section 6 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, we hereby request for a seven (7)- day extension of time with effect from October 31, 2017, to enable us gather the requested information and respond appropriately.”
The Daily Times had on July 24, 2017, wrote to the CBN governor seeking information over the alleged crisis in Etisalat Nigeria (now 9mobile) following a huge debt of $1.2bn (about N541 billion) from 13 Nigerian banks.
In the letter, the Daily Times requested CBN to provide it with full information on what transpired in Etisalat and the propriety of CBN’s action in depositors’ funds involved in the loans.
The Daily Times also sought information on the motives behind the new appointments in Etisalat (9mobile); and the alleged plans of a business mogul to takeover the telecoms firm at the end of the transitory six -months period.
But the CBN replied the Daily Times on September 28, 2017, in a letter with number: CSD/FOI/GEN/REQ/03/113, titled: “Re: Request for Information on Etisalat Loans” signed by Mrs. R.J Monguno for Director of Corporate Secretariat and advised the newspaper jto follow up on its request with the NCC.
The CBN, had in the letter said: “In line with the provisions of Section 5 of the FOI, 2011, we have transferred your request to the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) vide our letter ref CSD/FOI/GEN/REQ/03/112 dated 27th September, 2017 based on the fact that the NCC have “greater interest” in the information.
Etisalat had terminated its management agreement with its Nigerian arm and gave the business time to fissile out.
But the NCC intervened immediately during the crisis to save Etisalat Nigeria from collapse after talks with its lenders to renegotiate a $1.2bn loan failed.
However, despite NCC’s intervention all the UAE shareholders of Etisalat Nigeria exited the company.
The telecommunications giant has since changed its name to 9mobile; while still retaining its millions subscribers.
Mathew Dadiya, Abuja
