NCAA moves to pull down Glo masts nationwide over unpaid fees
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) may pull down all telecommunications masts belonging to GSM operator, Globacom over unpaid Height Clearance Certificate fees.
NCAA which said it obtained a directive from the Presidency to recover fees owed the agency by defaulters, added that its decision to shut down Glo’s masts was sequel to the telecommunications firm’s failure to respond to several meeting appointments scheduled between both parties to resolve the impasse.
According to the aviation agency, it is no longer willing to meet with the telco on the matter, unless the latter explains the reasons why it failed to honour previous appointments.
NCAA in its latest letter to the Managing Director of the telecommunications company titled ‘ Re: Illegal Erection Of High Structures And Refusal To Renew Expired Height Clearance Certificates By Globacom Limited, and signed by Emmanuel Dubem Chukwuma, its Legal Adviser/ Head Compliance and Enforcement, said it will carry out demolition of the masts without further notifying Globacom.
Giving reason for its action, NCAA said despite calling for an adjournment of a meeting to discuss the renewal of the expired height clearance certificates on three occasions, Globacom management refused to turn up for the last meeting scheduled for September 23rd without giving any explanation for its inability to attend.
“It is unfortunate that despite our concurrence to a further rescheduling of the meeting to a requested date, and so informing you through our letter of 13th September 2021, you failed to turn up for the meeting. The Director-General of the NCAA had to abort an official assignment in Europe and return to Nigeria, in order to be able to attend the meeting”.
According to NCAA, the Globacom group only wrote the letter under reference three days after, asking that the meeting be rescheduled, without any explanation for the failure of any management staff to show up”.
” I am directed to inform you that the NCAA is not disposed to granting this latest (fourth) request to reschedule the meeting, particularly as no reason was given for your non-attendance at the last date.
“In the circumstance, having exhausted all avenues of a resolution of this matter, we are now left without a choice but to apply the relevant sanctions, including the dismantling of all your non-compliant masts nationwide. And this shall be without further notice to you”; the letter read.
