BEVERLY HILLS, December 03 (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has reduced to N674bn the N1.04trn fine earlier imposed on the MTN Group for failing to deactivate users of unregistered SIM cards. This was as the company announced the resignation of its Nigerian Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Michael Ikpoki.
The regulator however gave the South African mobile telecommunications operator, which gets about 37 per cent of its sales from Nigeria, until the end of 2015 to pay the new amount which amounts to $3.4bn from the earlier $5.2bn.
A statement issued by the company on Thursday morning revealed that “MTN Nigeria’s CEO Michael Ikpoki and the head of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Akinwale Goodluck have tendered their resignations with immediate effect.
“They are replaced by Ferdi Moolman as MTN Nigeria CEO and Amina Oyagbola as its head of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs. Mr Moolman was previously COO at MTN Irancell and most recently CFO at MTN Nigeria. A Nigerian national, Ms Oyagbola also retains the position of MTN Nigeria’s Head of Human Resources. She formerly headed regulatory affairs at the Nigerian operating company.”
It went on to state that the MTN Group received a formal letter dated December 2 from the NCC informing it that, “after considering the Company’s request, it has taken the decision to reduce the fine on the MTN Nigerian business from the original N1,040,000,000,000 (One Trillion, Forty Billion Naira) to N674 Billion Naira which has to be paid by 31 December 2015.”
Noting that it was considering the latest decision of the NCC, the company disclosed that its: “Executive Chairman, Phuthuma Nhleko will immediately and urgently re-engage with the Nigerian authorities before responding formally.”
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