The already frosty bilateral relationship between Nigeria and South Africa may linger over the hard stance of the National Assembly on the vexed issue of N780b fine imposed on MTN Nigeria by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

It would be recalled that South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma met with President Muhammadu Buhari to agree on a payment schedule.

In his first public comment on the matter, President Buhari said Nigeria was not concerned about the money, but the security implication of MTN’s failure to disconnect unregistered lines.



He said the company chose to go to court rather than negotiate with the authorities.

“MTN had withdrawn their case from the court and decided to go back and renegotiate the fine, which they consider very stiff, with NCC to find ways the fine can be reduced and given time to pay gradually,” Buhari said.

A cross-section of stakeholders observed that there is need for the Federal Government to ensure that the issues are resolved in a most amicable way possible to forestall further breakdown in bilateral relations by both countries.

In the view of Dr. Fabian Uzor, a public affairs analyst, both countries will be at the receiving end if the relationship between the countries become estrange.

Echoing similar sentiments, the President of National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS), Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, urged the Federal Government to accept the N50 billion payment by MTN Nigeria as the total fine.

Ogunbanjo said that the N50 billion payment made by MTN was okay and somewhat seemingly agreeable with international best practices.

“The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and indeed the Federal Government should now show some magnanimity in accepting the payment in good faith. “This will ensure that MTN continues to be in business in Nigeria. “Our fines must be corrective and not as penal as to close down foreign investment interests in Nigeria. “Nigerian regulators must not be excessively harsh in order not to send wrong signals to investors interested in Nigeria,” he said.

http://www.financialwatchngr.com/2016/03/13/n780b-mtn-fine-threatens-nigeria-south-africa-bilateral-relations/

ok

Buhari no go school nah, what do you expect??

He wants to finance his budget of chains with MTN fine in detriment of the effect it can have on the economy...

Smh!!!

Mtn already has the upper hand in this case when it dangled 50 billion and Buhari went and collected it under the cover of darkness.

This craze to search for money to fund the faaji budget is really bringing out the true Buhari in HD.