By OBSERVERS TIMES .
Subscribers in Kogi State can expect the return of telecommunications services by Wednesday following a resolution between MTN Nigeria and the state government, the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has said.
ALTON Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, told PUNCH Online on Tuesday that the dispute that caused the shutdown of MTN’s telecom masts in the state has been resolved.
The disruption arose from accusations by the Kogi State Utility Infrastructure Management and Compliance Agency (KUIMCA) that MTN violated operational rules by under-declaring its optic fibre network. A verification exercise by KUIMCA indicated a larger network than reported by MTN, leading to demands for additional payments. MTN’s refusal resulted in a court-ordered shutdown.
KUIMCA Director General, Taofeeq Isah, had earlier highlighted MTN’s non-compliance. Kogi authorities had also accused MTN of tax evasion.
“We have resolved the issues. Services will be fully restored on Wednesday,” Adebayo assured.
