9Mobile Sales Bid: NCC Says Teleology Must Show Adequate Technical Competence

According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the financial strength of the preferred bidder; Teleology is not a guarantee to its getting a 9Mobile operating licence, as it would also have to show adequate technical competence and capacity to continue operating the telco.

9mobile sale: NCC says Teleology must pass technical competence test https://t.co/WGGA0eRVQ3

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This is was made known yesterday by the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta who said that the payment of the $500 million was not a guarantee of Teleology Holding taking control of 9Mobile.

As such, Teleology can not count itself as the full owners of the telco, at least not until the NCC is able to confirm it has the capacity to operate the licence.

Why the Need for Technical Competence?

In order not to further compound its problems, it is in the interest of 9Mobile that the company most competent bidder with both technical and financial capacity be selected by the NCC in order to turn round the telco (9Mobile).

Although, Prof. Umar Danbatta did  not specify what would happen to the money paid in the event that Teleology is considered technically unfit to operate 9Mobile, he however insisted that the technical test must be carried out.

According to him:

There are two components of 9Mobile sale; the financial evaluation and technical evaluation. The CBN is driving the financial evaluation while we are responsible for the technical evaluation. After the first evaluation, a preferred bidder has emerged and I must say before the preferred bidder emerged, it involved the full participation of representatives of Nigerian Communication Commission. After the CBN is done with its important work of establishing the preferred bidder, the NCC will then come in to ascertain the technical capacity of the preferred bidder.

Teleology Holdings (the preferred bidder) has made efforts to prove itself as it has made the nonrefundable payment of $50m with $450m still to be paid in 90 days. It also recently unveiled its agenda for 9Mobile, which presents the company as technically-competent.

We can only watch and wait.