The report that Airtel Network Limited has emerged as a sole bidder for 3.5GHz spectrum band for 5G deployment in Nigeria and the recovery of over N120bn from the proceeds of crime by the government are some of the leading stories in Nigerian newspapers on Thursday.
The Punch reports that the Nigerian Communications Commission has revealed that Airtel Network Limited has emerged as a sole bidder for its 3.5GHz spectrum band for 5G deployment in the nation.
Based on this, the NCC said there would be no auction as Airtel would be assigned one of the available lots of 100 MHz TDD Spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band at the NCC’s reserve price of $273.60m.
The commission stated this in a statement on Wednesday. According to it, by the close of business on Monday, December 5, 2022, only two companies had expressed interest in the auction of its 3.5GHz spectrum band, but only one paid its required intention to bid deposit.
The companies were Airtel, and Standard Network and Connections Limited (Standard Network).
It said, “However, only Airtel paid the Intention to Bid Deposit as stipulated in the Information Memorandum (IM) whereas, Standard Network sent an email appeal for the deadline to be extended by 12 working days which was not acceptable in view of the auction timetable.
“Having met all the provision in the IM, Airtel has, therefore, emerged as the sole bidder. Consequently, there shall be no further bidding and the Commission will proceed to the assignment stage in line with the published Information Memorandum guiding the licensing process.”
During its latest stakeholders’ engagement on ‘The Draft Information Memorandum’ in November 2022, Huawei had said, “High reserve price may result in the risk of spectrum being unsold.”
In October, the NCC released its Information Memorandum on 3.5 GHz Spectrum Auction where it revealed plans to issue two more 5G licences during an auction slated for later in the year.
The newspaper says that the Federal Government on Wednesday said it had recovered over N120bn from the proceeds of crime following the implementation of the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022.
It said the fund would be deployed for the construction of major highways, adding that the administration’s fight against corruption was very much on track.
Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, disclosed this at the 8th edition of the ‘PMB Administration Scorecard Series (2015-2023)’, where the Minister of Environment made a presentation on achievements by the environment ministry.
Mohammed said, “As you may already know, Mr President signed into law the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Bill, 2022, on May 12, 2022.
“That bill was one of the three which Mr. President signed into law that day. Others are the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2022 and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2022.
“I have an update on the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022. In line with the new law, all relevant agencies of government have now opened ‘Confiscated and Forfeiture Properties Account with the Central Bank of Nigeria.”
He added, “I can confirm that so far, the Federal Government has realised over N120bn, among other currencies, from POCA. This money will be used to fund the completion of ongoing critical infrastructure projects in the country like the Second Niger Bridge as well as Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kano expressways. We will continue to update you on this.”
The Guardian reports that with 80 days to the presidential election, the United Kingdom (UK) has said it has no interest in who becomes Nigeria’s next president, as it warned against any act that could intimidate eligible voters from exercising their franchise on election day.
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Liang, made this known, yesterday, after meeting behind closed doors with the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
The envoy, while ruling out the possibility of the UK government adopting any of the presidential candidates, reiterated its confidence in Nigeria’s democracy and President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to ensuring the conduct of free and fair polls next year.
She said: “This is one meeting I am having with political parties, presidential candidates and party chairmen. Today is for the APC chairman to pass on our message about the general elections.
“We welcome Nigeria’s commitment to democracy and the President’s commitment to free and secure elections. We talked a little more detailed about the conditions necessary for that to happen and the concern about insecurity, especially the importance of people coming out on election day to register and vote.
“That means no intimidation and a secured environment, so, people can feel safe voting for the candidate they want.
“The UK doesn’t have a preferred candidate. We are committed to free and fair elections, but we will work with whoever of the presidential candidate that emerges from the election.”
The newspaper says that members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers’ Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) yesterday, threatened to boycott private depots, except they are supplied products at the same regulated price to major marketers.
Citing the prevalence of a discriminating distribution system between IPMAN and major marketers, the independent operators have given a seven-day notice to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to address their concerns or they boycott the depots, thereby worsening the already tense fuel situation in the country.
IPMAN Ejigbo Satellite Depot Chairman, Akin Akinrinade in a chat with journalists yesterday, also called out the regulatory agency, NMDPRA, for allowing the situation to deteriorate.
He raised some posers saying, “How do you explain the fact that Major Marketers and NNPC Retail outlets sell at N170/ltr and N169/ltr of petrol at their stations, respectively, (and still make profit)? They get their supplies from the same Mother Vessels brought into the Nigerian waters by NNPC Limited. Do they not use Daughter Vessels? Why is it impossible for the Private Depots to sell to IPMAN members at regulated price since they get their supplies from the same source as major marketers? Nobody seems to be interrogating this obvious anomaly.
“The authorities should tell Nigerians how it is possible for the major marketers to sell at a pump price N170/ltr of petrol and the private depot (who are middlemen), sell to IPMAN members at N217/ltr of petrol, ex-depot. It is NNPC that supplies both of them (at same price). From what is playing out, the only ineluctable conclusion is that the private depot owners, in connivance with the authorities in charge of distribution of petrol, are playing games with our collective destinies. The simple fact that the Federal Government is subsidizing petrol makes whoever has custody of it, to do in trust for Nigerians whose funds are being used to subsidize the product.
“They should not be allowed to profiteer. We call on NMDPRA to wake up and do the needful at the depots. We are in this dire position because the NNPC depots across the country are not working. These non-functional depots left IPMAN members orphaned since the beginning of the year 2022. While arrangements were made for major marketers to load at their various depots and at times at the Private Depots, no such arrangement was made for IPMAN members.”
Despite IPMAN members controlling more than 80 per cent of the filling stations across Nigeria, Akinrinade stated that any distribution arrangement that excludes IPMAN members is bound to fail.
He noted that the only immediate solution to the current quagmire is to bring IPMAN back into the distribution system, via a through-put arrangement with some private depots to warehouse petrol for loading by IPMAN members at government regulated price.
GIK/APA