The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is set to begin deactivating masts belonging to telecoms firm Globacom Ltd over failure to pay N5.9billion renewal fees for height clearance to the agency.
The agency had in a letter dated October 4 and addressed to the managing director of Globacom stated that following the failure by Globacom to pay the amount aforementioned, it had no choice but to commence the dismantling of the company’s masts across the country.
The letter signed by NCAA legal adviser Emmanuel Chukwuma read, “In the circumstance, having exhausted all avenues for a resolution of this matter, we are now left without choice but to apply the relevant sanctions, including the dismantling of all your non-compliant masts nationwide. And this shall be without further notice to you.”
According to the letter, Globacom and NCAA scheduled to meet on September 23 to address the matter, but the meeting did not hold.
“Globacom only wrote the letter under reference three days after, asking that the meeting be rescheduled, without any explanation for the failure of any management staff to show up.
“I am directed to inform you that the NCAA is not disposed to granting this latest (fourth) request to reschedule the meeting, particularly, as no reason was given for your non-attendance on the last date.
“In the circumstance, having exhausted all avenues for a resolution of this matter, we are now left without choice but to apply the relevant sanctions including the dismantling of all your non-compliant masts nationwide. And this shall be without further notice to you”, the NCAA letter seen by Sahara Reporters read.
Globacom’s indebtedness, according to an earlier communication from NCAA, includes application fee for 2006 to 2007 at N100,000 per mast, totalling N689,800,000, annual renewal fee for 2007 to 2022 (15 years), inspection fee covering 6,898 masts across the nation all totalling N6,064,230,000.
It was learnt that Globacom paid the sum of N100million on July 31, 2019 and had not made any further payment.
