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Network Blackout Looms in Ondo, Others over Closure of Telecom Facilities

By Peter Ugwu
05 February 2016   |   3:51 am
MTN Nigeria has said it can’t carry out maintenance and routine services on its network facilities in Ondo State which will invariably lead to poor or total loss of network coverage on all Automated Teller Machines, Point of Sale (PoS) terminals and mobile phones connected to its networks in the state and its environs. This…

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MTN Nigeria has said it can’t carry out maintenance and routine services on its network facilities in Ondo State which will invariably lead to poor or total loss of network coverage on all Automated Teller Machines, Point of Sale (PoS) terminals and mobile phones connected to its networks in the state and its environs.

This is consequent the confiscation of the operator’s transmission hubs by the state government.
Users of mobile phone with MTN Nigeria network won’t have access to voice traffic across other operators, data services and international traffic anytime from now, the operator warned.

There will be poor or total loss of network coverage for all MTN subscribers in Ondo as the sealing of facilities means that service providers will not be able to carry out routine maintenance work or refuel the generators servicing the base transceiver stations (BTS’).
In addition, a major hub site for both fibre and microwave transmission which connects the North, South and East will be affected leading to loss of services in the whole of Ekiti State as well as parts of Edo and Niger States.

It will be recalled that since 23rd December, 2015, the eve of the national public holidays leading to the Eid El Maulud and Christmas celebrations, officials of the Ondo State government had proceeded to seal MTN’s BTS’ and other facilities in the state. The closure followed an Ex-Parte court Order taken against MTN regarding a tax claim of N458,585,783.12 allegedly owed the Ondo State Board of Internal Revenue Service (OSBIRS) in Pay As You Earn (PAYE); Withholding Tax (WHT); Development levy, Business Premises and Education Endowment taxes.

Amina Oyagbola, MTN executive, was quoted in a press statement saying that MTN has fulfilled all its statutory obligations with respect to PAYE, Withholding Tax and Development levy, amongst others, contrary to OSBIRS’ claim.

Oyagbola added that MTN has also provided all the relevant assistance through direct engagement, meetings and production of documentation (including 3rd party contracts) which were availed to the Internal Revenue Board and its consultants.

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