MTN must play by rules, Says FG

MTN Nigeria must abide by the rules and regulations guiding business transactions in the Nigeria, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Board of Commissioners, has said.

Senator Durojaiye, reacting to the $8.1 billion allegedly repatriated illegally from Nigeria by MTN, said the government wasn’t trying to send the South African telecom operator away from the country, but ‘’it should play the game by the rules.’’

MTN is having $8.1 billion funds repatriation and $2bn tax issues with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

Senator Durojaiye who spoke to journalists at the Nigeria Pavilion at the ITU Telecom World 2018 in Durban, South Africa said, ‘’We do not want MTN to die or leave our country. We want them and we do not have any problem with them; but we believe they must play by all our rules and regulations,” he said.

Durojaiye confirmed on-going talks to get an amicable settlement to the tax and repatriation issues. “As you heard from Rob Shuter [MTN Group President/CEO), MTN doesn’t have any problem with us neither do we have with them. What is playing out is being settled and we shall get to the root soon,” he noted.