BY TONY EDIKE
THE multi-million naira 090 analogue cellular gateway built by the defunct General Ibrahim Babangida administration for the South Eastern region in the early 90s is now rotting away.

Apart from the building located at GRA, Enugu which is at an  advanced stage of dilapidation, the mobile telecommunication equipment which was procured by the then Minister of Communication, David Mark, now the Senate President, have decayed while no staff was available in the premises when Vanguard visited the gateway.

Soldiers that normally guarded the premises to forestall vandalisation of the equipment had long been withdrawn leaving one private security guard.

The guard, who would not allow access into the premises, said that the main telecommunication switch and other facilities including the heavy duty generating set installed there were rotting away as NITEL workers that were manning them have long abandoned their job.

It was gathered that few of the workers come around once in a while to inspect the equipment but most of the vehicles  left on the  premises had been vandalized.

Few NITEL officials said to have been left behind to oversee the  facilities have  abandoned their duties since they have nothing doing in the premises. It was the same situation at the NITEL South East Zonal Office and the International Direct Dialing, IDD, office where telecommunication and office equipment have decayed and the premises deserted.

Only two private security men were seen at the gates and one of them interviewed said nothing meaningful was happening at the regional headquarters as only the staff of other establishments like NIPOST sharing the premises with NITEL could be seen.

Some dilapidated telecom equipment and vehicles liter the premises but sources said they could no longer be put to use as they had become outdated.

There are fears that some of the buildings in the once bubbling NITEL premises could collapse if urgent actions were not taken to rehabilitate them. It was gathered that most of the roofs are leaking owing to the archaic nature of the asbestos roofing sheets used when the houses were erected in the 60s.

One of the laid off NITEL workers, Cosmas Ugwueze, who spoke on the issue said that apart from the buildings in both premises, there was no other valuables that could still be useful in the deserted offices.

“I can tell you that even before we were finally asked to stop due to several months of salary arrears, most of the equipments were no longer working. After we left many cables including those laid underground were vandalised by hoodlums.

“As things stand now, most of the NITEL’s movable assets had disappeared while some immovable ones were pilfered by unknown persons. Some of the serviceable vehicles were taken away by those handling them before the total shutdown of NITEL and the earlier the government decides what to do with the available structures the better,” the ex-NITEL staff said.

 JTF takes over premises in Borno

BY NDAHI MARAMA
In Borno, the NITEL territory has been taken over by armed Joint Task Force (JTF) personnel since the Boko Haram insurgency erupted in the state. Situated behind the Popular Post Office Area in the heart/centre of the metropolis, the Maiduguri office, earlier regarded as the North_ East zonal office had just witnessed a suicide bomb attack which killed three people including a woman and her baby.

Some JTF operatives were injured and their patrol vehicle was damaged. In fact, the tight security around the territory had led to the evacuation of road side traders who patronized the area to earn a living.

Movement in and around the area is now restricted because of the presence of the JTF. A staff who was among those retrenched during the privitization process said some of them have received their entitlements, some have been denied pension while others are yet to receive their full benefit.

Faces meaner challenges
BY WOLE MOSADOMI
The Minna NITEL territorial office has been a shadow of itself as a result of retrenchment of workers some years ago. After their retrenchment, some of the workers who were still hopeful of a possible re-engagement always gathered at the main gate to discuss their plight with the hope that they would be re-absorbed or paid off. 

And because of the non-patronage of the services of the company with the advent of mobile phones, the offices are now deserted. When it became very clear that their dreams of re-absorption have been shattered, especially when many of them were being settled their entitlements in instalment, the three major offices were finally deserted.

As expected, most of the offices deserted  have been take over by reptiles and also open for vandalization Vanguard gathered that only one senior  officer, Alhaji Sani Idris is left as the territorial manager with one other junior officer to take care of the offices. It was also gathered that even the two officers have not been paid their salaries in the past three years.