ATCON urge FG to stop NCAA against masts demolition

Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has urged the federal government to restraint Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) which is threatening to demolish telecommunication masts in different locations across the country.

ATCON said that telecommunications services would be adversely affected if NCAA carries out its threat.

NCAA had earlier in the week said it will demolish telecommunication masts in different locations across the country with immediate effect.

The NCAA had said the demolition exercise would similarly affect some banks and financial institutions that had dis countenanced its regulatory requirements on the clearance to erect any high structure within navigable airspace in the country.

Mr Sam Adurogboye, general manager, Public Relations, NCCA, had said, “A total of 8,805 masts belonging to the aforementioned organisations will be decommissioned forthwith. The NCAA wishes to reiterate that it will continue to apply requisite sanctions for violation of extant regulations, especially, where the resolve of the authority is tested.”

This came after the NCAA in April had warned all Global System for Mobile Communications providers and telecom operators against the violation of safety regulations, with a 30-day ultimatum handed down for compliance.

But Olusola Teniola, president of ATCON, condemned the move to destroy the towers, saying the Federal Government would rebuild them.

Teniola said, “We are disappointed that the government is still involved in the destruction of much-needed infrastructure that provides services for those communities that will be impacted by the stance that the NCAA has made.

“We have said in the past, and in support of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, that those base stations and towers that are destroyed would not be rebuilt. We expect the government to now rebuild what they have destroyed.”