In a veiled defense of the presidential hopeful, the Nigerian Communications Commission has said that Mafab Communications Limited, one of the winners of the 5G spectrum license auctioned by NCC, is not affiliated with Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State.
Mafab emerged successful at public auction conducted on Monday, December 13, 2021, at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. MTN Communications also gained a 5G license at the auction
In a statement signed by its spokesman, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, NCC stated that Mafab is in good regulatory standing with the Commission, and holds international data access (IDA), inter-connect data exchange (IDE) and Value-Added Service (VAS) licenses.
“It is pertinent to state that the Information Memorandum (IM) for the auction of the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum clearly set out eligibility criteria for participation of interested bidders in the auction, which included that new companies could participate in the bid,” the Commission said.
“Over the years, the NCC has had spectrum auctions and as an independent regulatory agency, has maintained an undisputable reputation of successful auctions based on openness, fairness and transparency, a fact widely acknowledged locally and internationally.
“NCC’s auction proceedings conform to international best practice, devoid of any undue influence or interferences whatsoever.
“A higher standard of integrity and openness was emplaced in the 5G auction as the process was, for the first time, witnessed by the public both physically and virtually through a link provided by the Commission on its official website.
