NCC Fine Glo & Eti N14.4M - 10.7Million Sims Already Blocked

Following the contravention of its directive on SIM card deactivation, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has sanctioned Globacom and Etisalat.

Consequently, telecoms regulator has fined the two firm N14.4 million.

NCC insisted that the fine must be paid on or before September 7, 2015, and that failure to do so, would attract an additional fine of N100,000 per day for each of the operators, as long as the complete fine remained unpaid.

A breakdown of the N14.4 million fine shows that while Globacom would pay N7.4 million, Etisalat would pay N7 million, totalling N14.4 million fine for both operators.

NCC is however silent on MTN and Airtel, an indication that they might have complied strictly to NCC’s directives to deactivate all pre-registered SIM cards on their networks, for security reasons.

According to NCC, its monitoring team discovered 37 pre-registered SIM cards on the Globacom network, while it discovered 35 pre-registered SIM cards on the Etisalat network.

The NCC Regulation 20(1) of the Registration of Telecoms Subscribers, stipulates a fine of N200,000 for every pre-registered SIM card found to be active on any telecoms operators’ network.

Having discovered 37 active pre-registered SIM cards on the Globacom network, amounting to N7.4 million and 35 active pre-registered SIM cards on the Etisalat network, amounting to N7 million, NCC decided to fine both operators the sum of N14.4 million that must be paid to NCC on or before September 7, 2015.

According to two separate letters dated August 26, 2015, addressed to the CEOs of  Globacom and Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services Limited, also known as Etisalat, the NCC said: “The Commission, in consideration of the prevalence of infractions and the impact of the contravention on the national database of telecommunications subscribers, we hereby impose sanction on Globacom Nigeria and Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services Limited.”

The letters were signed by the Head, Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement at NCC, Mr. Efosa Idehen, on behalf of the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Professor Umaru Danbatta, and made available to THISDAY.

Part of the letter sent to Globacom, read: “That Globacom, should, pursuant to regulation 20(1) of the registration of telephone subscribers of 2011, pay to the NCC, the sum of N200,000 only for each of the 37 pre-registered SIM cards found active on your network in contravention of the regulations, totaling N7.4 million.”

Part of the letter sent to Etisalat, read: “That Etisalat should, pursuant to regulation 20(1) of the registration of telephone subscribers of 2011, pay to the NCC, the sum of N200,000 only for each of the 35 pre-registered SIM cards found active on your network in contravention of the regulations, totaling N7million.”

NCC had on August 4, 2015, directed all telecoms operators to commence deactivation of pre-registered SIM cards and gave them seven days to do so or face sanction. At the expiration of the seven day ultimatum, which ended August 11, 2015, NCC commenced monitoring for compliance, and warned that any operator found wanting, shall be sanctioned according to the number of pre-registered SIM cards found on its network. In keeping to its words as a strict regulator, the NCC decided to fine Globacom and Etisalat, based on the findings from its monitoring team.

The ultimatum, it was gathered, was the fallout of a meeting among office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Department of State Service (DSS), the network operators and the NCC.

The meeting, which took place at the NCC boardroom in Abuja, attributed crimes committed against members of the public either by kidnappers, terrorists, robbers and threats to lives, to the use of such pre-registered SIM cards across all networks.
Operators were however told to notify such subscribers before deactivation of their SIM cards.