Kogi Govt seals Glo office, infrastructures over refusal to acquire permits for over 250 masts »

…we have engaged GLO for about four years without response – DG KUIMCA

The Kogi State Utility Infrastructure Management and Compliance Agency (KUIMCA), on Thursday sealed service centre and mast site of Globacom across Kogi state over its failure to produce a safety and compliance permits for over 250 of its network providing mast infrastructures across the nooks and crannies of Kogi State.

Supervising the sealing of the infrastructures, the Director General, KUIMCA, Prince Abdulqadir Suleiman hinted that the Agency had given the organisation a very long rope, following about four years engagement which they have refused to respond to any of its correspondence.

The DG noted that In line with its powers under the enabling law, otherwise known as KUIMCA Law 2018, all utility infrastructure across the state must be deployed in a manner that conforms with international best practices in a bid to ensure public safety. It was also established to create an enabling and safe environment for businesses operators themselves.

Giving a background to the organisation’s decision to seal off all of Glo’s infrastructures all across the state, the DG pointed out that KUIMCA’s concern as established by law was premised on public safety with regards to the location of utility infrastructures and the need for organisations to acquire permits that would ensure that infrastructures are located within the confines of public safety.

He said the Kogi State government thought it wise to establish an agency which would serve as a one stop shop where all organisation involved in Utility infrastructure including fibre optic cables, Telecomm masts, water and gas pipeline, sewage etc could get permits for their operations hinting that upon establishment KUIMCA mandated all operators to provide records of their utility infrastructures and permits acquired for it.

While some provided the requested documents, the DG said Globacom refused, however the Agency took a painstaking audit of their infrastructures and got a figure of their telecom mast all across the state. We also requested information from the MDA that was previously handling the issuance of permit and were able to establish a gap of over 250 mast that do not have requisite permits, he revealed.

He clarified that the Agency’s grouse with Globacom was not primarily about taxation but with compliance with the existing law of the state and the rules that give the Agency the mandate to ensure that the public is safe hence Non-compliance with this laws poses threats to the public adding that Compliance according to law require getting permit from the Agency before an infrastructure is put in place.

“We have been engaging GLO for almost four years and we have sent contravention notices and patiently explored all means as provided by the law with no positive response from GLO. The second to the last letter we wrote to the organisation was rejected, we have our evidences, they even reneged on our out of court settlement arrangements. Our last warning to them dated back 2nd of March which gave warning on the action taken by the Agency today,” the DG narrated.

He said that the organisation were expected to meet with the Agency with their permits that they had previously obtained and if they didn’t obtain these permits, their infrastructure would remained sealed in the interest of the public pending the provision or acquisition of relevant permits.

The DG assured that KUIMCA remained steadfast in fostering a transparent, accountable, and competitive environment, noting that the Agency would uphold regulatory governance principles, taking the necessary actions to protect the public interest, promote fair business practices, and ensure the sustained growth and innovation brewing within the utility infrastructure management sector.