The NCAA Director–General, Capt. Musa Nuhu, carried out the
exercise on Wednesday, under the supervision of the Minister of Aviation, Sen.
Hadi Sirika.
Nuhu told the newsmen after locking up the tower that the
facility would be switched off until outstanding debt was paid.
He said the company had paid only N500 million out of the
N5.2 billion it was owing, pointing out that the outstanding debt was N4.7
billion.
According to him, all the other telecommunications service
providers are paying except the Globacom, which has failed to meet up since
2007.
“My Agency is under tremendous pressure by the Federal Government
of Nigeria and we will do our best within the power vested on us to make sure
the debt is settled.
“The action we took is for the safety of aviation in
Nigeria. As a matter of fact, any masts after a certain of height, we are
supposed to regulate it to ensure that it is properly covered.
“We do fly aircraft, we do flight helicopter, and it could
be drone among others things we fly. Not necessary regular passenger flight.
Police, PHCN and all those people; they do patrol all over the country.
“I am sure, you have seen their helicopters, that is why it
is important for us to ensure we have all these in road map and put them in
action,” he said.
Nuhu said it was the regulation of NCAA that whoever erected
the masts would pay for the process that would carried out by NCAA.
According to the director-general, 15 letters have been sent
to glo in the past without any tangible reply since his assumed office.
He said that generally in the past, they only paid some
amount and walked away.
”Of recent, when I came, then we sat down we have been
speaking silently.
“They have paid some money but they still have almost N4.7
billion debt remaining. None of the communication services providers has that
amount of a due for payment.
“That started in 2007. We don’t like shutting down things
but we have to take this drastic action because we are having financial issues
and we pressures from different sectors of government, “ he said.
Nuhu listed sectors of government pressuring NCAA to
include; Committees from the National Assembly, Federal Ministry of Aviation as
the supervising ministry, Agencies such as Fiscal Revenue Commission, and
Auditor General Office of the Federation and Accountant General Office of the
Federation.
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