Nigeria’s telecoms companies refuse to pay fines for poor service
The four mobile telecoms companies in Nigeria that were fined for failing to meet quality standards for service delivery by that country’s regulator have refused to pay the fines.
According to a report by the IT News Africa, an online news source, a court action brought on by a telecommunication consumer advocacy group has prevented Nigeria’s Communications Commission (NCC) from collecting fines it issued to MTN, Glo, Airtel and Etisalat.
The NCC fined the four companies a total of $7.29 million for failing to meet quality of service standards.
The operators MTN and Etisalat received the heaviest fines of almost $2.3 million each; Airtel was fined a little over $1.7 million, and Glo Nigeria was fined over $1.4 million.
The companies had a deadline of May 25, 2012 to have paid the fines.
However, the publication citing a spokesman of the NCC, Reuben Mouka said there will be rolling consequences if they fail to comply.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi