By AKOMA CHINWEOKE
A group, the Leadership and Role Model Foundation of Nigeria (LRMF) has threatened a court action against a pending Bill in the National Assembly seeking to establish the National Communications Satellite Corporation.  At a briefing recently in Lagos, the President of the group, Mazi Omife I. Omife said that with the existence of regulatory institutions in the telecommunications sector such as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the National Frequency Management Board, the establishment of yet another regulator through an Act of the National Assembly is an additional burden to the industry.

“We need to inform our lawmakers that a law regulating satellite communications in Nigeria is far from industry needs. Regulation from the current telecommunications regulator is enough to address whatever issues that arise from any sector of the telecoms industry,” Omife said.

“We consider the imposition of a service provider through an Act of the National Assembly in a deregulated telecom industry as a abuse of process, which this organisation will challenge in the court of law. “

Omife, however, urged the National Assembly to recall the Bill because of its “complexity, complications, contradictions and counter productiveness”, warning that it will destroy 20 years of achievements in the telecommunications sector.

He argued that “it is unthinkable that at this period of our national live when the leadership of our country is thinking seriously about how to liquidate NITEL after years of inflicting huge losses on the national treasury that the national Assembly is busy instituting another NITEL in the name of the National Communications Satellite Corporation.