By Prince Osuagwu
The Nigerian telecommunications market has never been without wars. In fact the sector could conveniently be said to have advanced its market leadership in Africa, in the midst of turbulence, litigations and outright wars.

But last week, a volcano erupted. An agency of government, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA declared war on all telecom companies it considered operating in contravention of environmental laws and regulations.

Its first catch was a big fish, Nigeria’s Second National Operator, Globacom. According to the agency, the telecommunications masts Globacom erected at a residential area in OAU Quarters in Maitama, Abuja, did not follow due process as it alleged that the operator did not acquire environmental impact assessment certificate before erecting the masts.

Penultimate Tuesday, the agency announced a decommissioning of the mast in question and pulled it down. NESREA’s Deputy Director in charge of Inspection, Compliance and Monitoring, Mrs. Miranda Amachree said that “following petitions from residents, an investigation was carried out by the agency. Amachree also disclosed that tests carried out at the site showed that the noise level was very high compared to what should be obtainable in a residential area.

She added that the mast also violated the regulation on the distance between a telecommunication mast and a residential building, as well as the distance from the road.”

As if decommissioning the masts was not enough punishment, the agency also announced that it has filed criminal charges against Globacom Limited joining Globacom staff, Lorenzo Gomez, and Mohammed Jameel, for violating Environmental Laws in the country.

In the charge filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja, the agency accused Globacom of illegally constructing, installing and operating  a base transmission/ telecommunications station at O.A.U Maitama Residential Quarters, Maitama District, Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, alleging that it was contrary to Section 2 of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act, Cap E12, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under Section 60 of the same Act.

Efforts to get Globacom to confirm or refute the allegations were unsuccessful as the official to respond was said to be out on other official assignments.

Also, attempts to get the reactions of the Chairman of Association Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, ALTON, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo and his counterpart in the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, Engr Titi Omo-Ettu, proved abortive as their phones kept ringing constantly without anybody answering.