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Chinenye Anuforo
Worried by incessant summons from different committees of the National Assembly on Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of telecommunications companies to appear before its several committees, the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) is now in court to seek interpretation of the provisions of the constitution on the extent of the lawmakers’ oversight functions on telecommunications companies.
This was even as the group sought the intervention of the Minister of Finance to review the Amended Taxes and Levies Order 2015 adjudged to be inimical to the efficient operations of telecommunications firms.
The association said it resolved to institute the court action because of the negative impact the legislators’ insistence on attendance of CEOs at such sessions was having on its members.
Speaking to pressmen during a media launch break at the weekend, the Chairman, ALTON, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, said that apart from the committees’ insistence that it would only grant audience to the CEOs of the companies and not their representatives, some of the investigative duties of the different committees overlap and require similar information from the attendees.
Hear him: “Apart from the duplication of effort by the committees, the manner of invitation borders on harassment of our members as the invitations are sometimes scheduled on the same day leading to conflict or scheduled back to back for three to four days, which will necessitate member CEOs being away from their businesses for such long periods.”
Adebayo also pointed out that some of the requested information border on information within the purview of specific government agencies, which the National Aassembly could easily request the agencies to provide. “Such information as evidence of tax remittances to government since inception of members operations, which could date as far back as 16 years; or confidential information which members should not be obliged to provide including list of all employees and current remuneration package of these employees.”
