A motion on the need to privatise Nigerian Telecommunication Limited (NITEL) and Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTEL) suffered a setback at the House of Representatives in Abuja on Thursday.
The motion, which was sponsored by Rep. Chris Azubogu (APGA–Anambra ), was widely debated by the House but not adopted when put to vote by the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Emeka Ihedioha.
Azubogu, who led the debate on the merit of the motion, noted that the Federal Government made efforts to liberalise the telecommunication industry in 2001.
The legislator said that the first attempt for the privatisation was in 2002 when an investor, International London ( llLL), offered 1.137 billion dollars to acquire NITEL.
He said that the company defaulted in paying the bid price and ‘’ thereafter lost the opportunity.’’
Azubogu, who said that many attempts were made to sell NITEL /MTEL,? adding that? ‘’ it is becoming unrealistic to expect a fair market value for the full price of NITEL/ MTEL.’’
He said that difficulty for the sale to attract a fair price was because “investment conditions in Nigeria and around the world are yet to improve since the capital and financial market crisis of 2008/2009 and 2010.’’
Azubogu urged the House to facilitate the proposed privatisation of NITEL, by supporting the motion.
‘’ If we unbundle NITEL and sell it, we will realise more money, it is our money, our resource, ’he said.
He urged the House to mandate the Committee on communications to investigate the mode of unbundling of NITEL/ MTEL? and make recommendations to the House within four weeks.
Rep. AruaArunsi (PDP – Abia ), Rep. Adams Jagaba ( PDP – Kaduna ), and Rep. Ndudi Elumelu ( PDP – Delta ) spoke in favour of the motion.
They said that the sale of NITEL / MTEL would be beneficial to Nigerians.
However, Rep. Patrick Asadu (PDP – Enugu), Rep. Kamil Akinlabi (ACN– Oyo), Rep. Haruna Kigbu ( CPC–Nasarawa), Rep. Ayo Omidran (ACN- Osun) spoke against the motion.
They argued that? NITEL should not be privatised considering that the organisation had strong connection with Nigeria as a nation.
Akinlabi said ‘’several attempts to sell NITEL means the spirit of Nigerians is against it.
Kigbu said ‘’NITELis the highest employer of labour’’ and should be protected.?
‘’We don’t have our own communication that is solely ours,’’ he added..
‘’ I vehemently oppose this motion, let us think very well about it (privatisation) before we dispose of what should be our pride,’’ Omidiran cautioned.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), 2012 budget of N48. 84 billion scaled through the second reading in the assembly.
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