5G Auction: NCC Denies Knowledge of Tinubu’s Link With Mafab

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has claimed it has no knowledge of any alleged link between Mr Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Mafab Communications Limited.

On Monday, the NCC conducted an auction for the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum for the offering of the new 5G services in the country.

The trio MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and Mafab jostled for the two available slots and along the line, Airtel pulled out when it could not go beyond what it was ready to pay.

However, some members of the public raised eyebrows when it was discovered that Mafab, one of the two winners of the exercise, was only incorporated in Nigeria last year.

It was speculated that Mr Tinubu, who is believed to have the ambition to become the President of Nigeria in 2023, is connected to the company.

Worried that this issue might stain its reputation, the NCC, which is the regulatory agency for the telecommunications industry in Nigeria, said it is not aware of any of Tinubu’s link with Mafab.

The agency said it conducted the exercise at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja in the full glare of key stakeholders, including “the media, the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as well as civil society groups.”

In a statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs, Mr Ikechukwu Adinde, the NCC emphasised that “the auction of the 5G spectrum was open, fair and transparent in the most, as the public auction followed a rigorous due process.”

“Mafab Communications Limited is a corporate entity duly licensed by the Commission to conduct telecommunications business. The company, which is in good regulatory standing with the Commission, currently holds international data access (IDA), inter-connect data exchange (IDE) and Value-Added Service (VAS) licences.

“It is pertinent to state that the Information Memorandum (IM) for the auction of the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum clearly set out eligibility criteria for participation of interested bidders in the auction, which included that new companies could participate in the bid.

“Over the years, the NCC has had spectrum auctions and as an independent regulatory agency, has maintained an undisputable reputation of successful auctions based on openness, fairness and transparency, a fact widely acknowledged locally and internationally. NCC’s auction proceedings conform to international best practice, devoid of any undue influence or interferences whatsoever.

“A higher standard of integrity and openness was emplaced in the 5G auction as the process was, for the first time, witnessed by the public both physically and virtually through a link provided by the commission on its official website,” it stated.

The agency assured that “it is prepared to drive the implementation of the next phase of the deployment of the new technology, in line with the federal government’s approved plan, for the benefit of all citizens.”