Senator Bola Tinubu’s involvement with Mafab Communications Limited, one of the winners of the 5G spectrum offered by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) in a public auction held on Monday in Abuja, has been denied by the NCC.
In a statement released Thursday by its Public Affairs Director, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, the Commission said it became aware of publications in several online media outlets (not Ripples Nigeria) alleging Tinubu’s involvement in Mafab Communications during its usual media assessment.
Mafab was a corporate licensed organization, according to the statement, and the bidding procedure was open, fair, and transparent.
“Consistent with the Commission’s long-established regulatory culture and tradition, the process leading to the auction of the 5G spectrum was open, fair, and transparent in the most, as the public auction followed a rigorous due process and was witnessed by a cross-section of stakeholders as observers, 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.
“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) licenses.
“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.”
Following the successful auction of the 5G spectrum, the Commission told Nigerians that it was ready to lead the next phase of the deployment of the new technology, in accordance with the Federal Government’s approved plan, for the benefit of all residents.
