We approved Visafone shares transfer to MTN not licence –NCC

The Nigerian Commu­nications Commission (NCC) has clarified that it only granted ap­proval for Visafone share trans­fer to MTN, and not licence.

According to a statement by its Director of Public Affairs, Mr Tony Ojobo, a decision to transfer Visafone licence to MTN has not yet been taken, adding that what was approved in the transaction was 100 per cent shareholding not licence.

He averred that NCC’s fi­nal approval to the changes in shareholding of Visafone Com­munications was taken by vir­tue of section 38 of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003.

“The grant of a licence shall be personal to the licencee and the licence shall not be operat­ed by, assigned, sub-licenced or transferred to any other party unless the prior written approv­al of the commission has been granted, the statement stated.

According to Ojobo, “This is contrary to the speculation in a section of the media that NCC had foreclosed the release of the spectrum held by Visafone to MTN. This clarification has be­come necessary in order to allay the fears in some quarters that the frequency had been with­held by the commission.

“The commission is yet to meet to take a decision on the application by Visafone to transfer its licence to MTN. The NCC has only approved the shareholding structure by 100 per cent and not transfer of licence”, the statement fur­ther stated.

Ojobo said Visafone applied for approval to transfer its li­cence to MTN, but NCC has written to Visafone, clearly stating that a decision was yet to be taken on the transfer of Visafone licence to MTN.