Senator Gilbert Nnaji, Chairman,  Senate Committee on Communications

By Francis Ugwoke

The Senate Committee on Communications  has waded into the     controversial sale  of  450 MHz Frequency Band  allegedly belonging to the Police by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The Senate Committee Chairman on Communications, Senator   Gilbert Nnaji said weekend that the committee is already investigating the face-off between the    NCC  and the Nigeria Police Force over the  controversial sale of 450 Mhz Frequency Band.

Senator Nnaji who just returned from the ITU TELECOM WORLD conference held in United Arab Emirate, Dubai, was said to have  hinted that  his Committee wants to get to the root of the matter.

In  a statement  sent to THISDAY by his  Media Adviser, Mr  Egbo Mon-Charles, the Committee  has already   directed the NCC Executive Chairman, Dr. Eugene Juwah  to furnish it with  a detailed report on the issue.

The statement said that  the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar and the Managing Director of  OpenSky Limited have been invited  to appear before the committee to shed more light on the purported sale which is already generating public concern across the nation.

Nnaji described as  unfortunate development  a situation where government agencies engage in avoidable confrontations and media war  over issues that could be amicably resolved in-house.

He stressed  that such embarrassing and unnecessary feud was capable of undermining every effort of government to stem the rising tide of insecurity in the country and also raise the revenue profile of Nigeria.

Nnaji who is also the senator representing Enugu-East Senatorial District described the intervention of the legislative committee as very necessary and timely if this ugly trend must be nipped in the bud.

He also warned that the committee would not spare any person or persons  found culpable in the matter.

It would be recalled that the  Ministry of Police Affairs  had  alleged that the NCC re-sold    the 450MHz spectrum licence   to OpenSkys Limited, after it initially sold the same frequency licence to the Nigerian Police which  had  occupied the frequency since  2009

The frequency   which is valued  at over $50million was reported to have been sold for less than $6million  by the .  Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr Eugene Juwah September last year.

NCC’s Director of Public Affiars, Mr. Tony Ojobo,  was reported  to have insisted that the sale  of the    450MHz frequency to OpenSkys Limited   was in compliance with the Nigerian Communications Act,  and  in full implementation of a presidential directive of 5th July, 2007.  .
But critics have maintained that the sale was done without consideration to national security for which the Police represents.