NITEL accuses PTOs, GSM operators of sabotage
By Everest Amaefule, Abuja
Published: Wednesday, 17 Sep 2008
The Nigerian Telecommunications Limited on Tuesday accused Fixed Wireless Operators popularly known as PTOs and leading GSM operators of willfully damaging its transmission cables to cut it off from the booming telecoms market.
Speaking at a Stakeholders’ Forum on Vandalism of Telecommunications Infrastructure organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission, General Manager, Operations at NITEL, Mr. Alex Achi, also accused the NCC of doing little to intervene in its predicament.
Giving graphic details of several instances of damage to its underground transmission cables across the country, Achi said other operators took advantage of its loss of steam in the telecoms market to inflict additional blows on the company’s capacity to compete.
He said, “The problems associated with the theft and vandalisation of NITEL cables nationwide has grown to such a huge extent that today it has crippled our network.
“On the whole, NITEL has lost billions of naira as a result of the vandalisation of its infrastructure. This has been made difficult by its present financial condition.”
He added that as a result of the vandalism of its infrastructure especially by other networks, the first national operator was operating below 30 per cent of its installed capacity.
Representatives of other telecom operators at the forum argued that NITEL was not the only company that had suffered vandalisation of its cables as a result of installation of cables by competitors and construction of roads by various tiers of government.
Spokesperson of Globacom at the event disclosed that as a result of vandalism of its cables, it suffers the loss of 150 hours a month, which translates to six days in a month of 30 days.
A representative of MTN Nigeria Limited, on the other hand, also informed the forum that his company lost an average of 30 generators in a month.
Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Mr. Ernest Ndukwe, wondered why NITEL should be losing its cables installed by Siemens, the same company that MTN has hired to install its own fibre optic cables.
TIGERKENN COMMENTS.......
Excuses are very easy to invent. I dont know how true it is that there is sabotage going on to frustrate Nitel, or any other GSM operator for that matter. But why are they business managers if they cant prevent vandalism? How does MTN manage to operate amidst vandalism while Nitel cant? And why hasnt they caught at least one vandal to prove their points.
Their comment smacks of people that are not even ready to face competition.
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