EFCC, DSS To Investigate MTN, GLO, Airtel, 9Mobile, Others

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on ICT, Alhaji Lado Abdullahi, has said the EFCC and DSS will join the committee to probe telecom providers over an alleged non-remittance to NITDA.

NAN reports that the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Act states that telecoms providers must remit a percentage of their annual turnover to NITDA to install infrastructure.

A source at the NITDA alleged that telecom providers owed the agency over N200billion which he said had caused Nigeria to lose a verifiable source of revenue generation.

Speaking to newsmen in a telephone interview, Abdullahi said the Chief Executive Officers of the nation’s telecom providers must account for their alleged failure to remit the fund to NITDA.

According to the member of Reps, telecom providers had failed to remit the fund since the Act became effective in 2007.

He said: “Our committee has been given a month deadline following a motion sponsored by a member from Ukwa East/West federal constituency in December 2019.

“The committee has not started working because the motion was moved during our last session before we went on recess and we have not resumed.

“So when we resume, we will be able to investigate the matter. Hopefully, by 20th of this month, the committee will take off.”

He said telecom providers would be asked to send vital information about their annual turnover starting from 2007, when NITDA Act was enacted, to date.

Abdullahi stated that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) will also be asked to provide the turnover of each service provider from 2007 to date.

“The Attorney-General, Accountant-General, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will furnish us with useful information to do our job,” he said.

“The process ought to have been that once the FIRS collects the money, it makes it known to the Accountant-General, who will release same to the Ministry of Finance and then to NITDA.

“Majority of them were defaulters which necessitated the investigation of the matter and to prosecute whoever was involved.

“We are involving the Attorney-General, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Department of State Services (DSS) and EFCC.

“Any CEO coming to make a presentation has to be on oath. They will be summoned before the national assembly to resolve the issue. The Attorney-General too will do the investigation and prosecute them accordingly,” he added.