By Olabisi Olaleye

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has disclosed that contrary to media hype, it only granted  100 per cent shareholding of Visafone Communications firm, not licence, to MTN Nigeria.
According to the Commission, which stated this Tuesday in Abuja, a decision to transfer Visafone licence to MTN has not yet been taken.  What has been approved in the transaction is shareholding and was taken by virtue of section 38 of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003. According to NCC, section 38 of the Act states that 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.
Speaking on the issue, its Director, Public Affairs at, Mr. Tony Ojobo, reiterated that the Commission was 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.
“Visafone Communications Limited with a Universal Access Service Licence (UASL), deploying Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology applied to the NCC for an approval to effect a change in its shareholding structure by transferring 100 percent of its shares to MTN Nigeria.  And having met all the preliminary requirements for grant of approval for change in shareholding structure,  NCC in line with its established procedure granted an Approval-In-Principle to Visafone Communications Limited, subject to fulfilment of conditions to transfer 100 percent of its shares to MTN Nigeria”.
Ojobo further stated that having fulfilled the conditions stipulated in the “Approval-In-Principle”, NCC, in line with its procedure granted a ‘Final-Approval’ to Visafone for the change in its shareholding structure.
Thereafter, Visafone applied for approval to transfer its licence to MTN.  “The NCC has written to Visafone, clearly stating that a decision was yet to be taken on the transfer of Visafone licence to MTN”, he stated.
Meanwhile, all efforts to reach MTN for its version of the story proved abortive.
However, an industry stakeholder, Aramide Adedayo-Bucknor stressed that the decision or approval in principle given by NCC is like purchasing a new car and being told not to use the gear.
“How can such a car move? The major reason, the telco may have bought the CDMA was because of the spectrum and now coming out to say another. NCC may need additional money for the release of the spectrum”, she said.