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Pentascope still to handle NITEL, says Adebayo
By Aaron Ukodie
IT.Telecom Editor
Despite harsh criticisms against
Pentascope over the alleged unsatisfactory handling of its contract to manage
the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), Communications Minister, Cornellus
Adebayo, says the deal would continue unhindered.
In what appeared a final statement on the
issue, Adebayo said at the unveiling of Multi-Links new 500,000 fixed wireless
line switch in Lagos on Monday that, “We are sorting out the Pentascope
thing and we have almost completely resolved it,” adding that he would
not be swayed by the wrongs or otherwise of Pentascope.
“I am not interested in rights and
wrongs. I am interested in performance and achievements,” he says, adding
that, “ I want Nigeria to get what it deserves out of the contract and
for the company that has the contract to perform. Beyond that I am not
interested.”
The minister, no doubt, has settled for a
review of the contract that puts more responsibility on Pentascope to deliver.
On the December 2004 deadline given to
licensees to manufacture recharge cards locally, Adebayo said if they are
unable to meet the deadline, the president would be advised as is necessary,
adding that there has not been any pressure on him by the licensees to extend
the deadline. He said the recharge cards cannot stop the rollout and the
sustainability of the telephone networks and that they would be procured anyhow
“as much as we need and go beyond recharge cards to the manufacture of
handsets.” Going by the assurances of the minister the clamour by the
Private Telephone Operators (PTO) for new import duty concessions would soon be
granted.
“The rate of expansion of the
networks shows that we need these concessions. What we need to do is tell the
finance minister to give us some support. My support for more concessions is
not because I am close to the industry. It is in the interest of the ordinary
man that we do what we can to bring cost down. If the duty is reduced and there
are more lines government would gain in taxes,” he said.
Lauding the bold steps of Multi-Links
which new switch provides services to Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ilorin, Ogbomoso and
Abuja, Adebayo said there is need for the operators to expand services with
multimedia applications that could serve the Internet needs of Nigerians.
According to him telecommunications
development in Nigeria cannot be measured by MTN strides alone, adding that,
“We need to go beyond talking. We need to be able to add value.”
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