LAGOS— THE National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, NATCOMS, has appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan and stakeholders in the telecommunication sector not to sell Nigeria’s first National carrier, NITEL-MTEL, to Globacom’s Dr Mike Adenuga as doing so would mean granting him too many favours to the detriment of other operators.

A statement by Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, National President of NATCOMS, said such a sale would create a monopoly and total possession and control by him and his organisation and not allow a level playing field for other network operators.

The statement said: “All network players and operators must enjoy a healthy and an enabling competition-friendly telecommunications policies, administration and regulation to the overall benefit of Nigerians in general and Nigerian subscribers in particular.”

NATCOMS recommended a “bail-out of N400 billion which will take care of NITEL-MTEL’s current liabilities of about N300 billion, leaving N100 billion for operating expenses and take the company to the public through an initial public offer that no current telecoms company in Nigeria has done.”

It noted that Adenuga intended to buy NITEL-MTEL through a special purpose vehicle to be run distinctly from Globacom.