Proposed masts demolition, 9mobile replies NCAA, says it meets all regulatory requirements
Nigeria telecommunication giant 9mobile has denied receiving any letter or entreaties from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to the effect that any of it masts either constitutes danger to the safety of air navigation in any part of the country or does not receives the necessary regulatory approval before citing them in their locations.
The company also affirmed that it neither received any list of affected sites directly from the NCAA or the representative of licensed Global System for Mobile Communications [GSM] providers in Nigeria, the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON).
Reacting to plans by the NCAA to demolish over 7000 telecom masts cited at various base stations across Nigeria due to non compliance with safety regulations and not obtaining the statutory Aviation Height Clearance (AHC], 9mobile said it ensures all legal and regulatory requirements are obtain before it erect a site anywhere.
The company Head of Corporate Affairs, Oluseyi Osunsedo, in an electronic statement explained that the non reception of any correspondence either from NCAA or ALTON is likely due to the fact that 9mobile is complaint.
Oluseyi said “9mobile is not aware of any such plans as we have not received any communication from the NCAA in this regard, neither have we received any list of affected sites directly or through ALTON.
This is most likely due to the fact that 9mobile is compliant; we ensure that all legal and regulatory requirements are met before a site is erected and this includes getting Aviation Height Clearance for all sites”.
NCAA on Tuesday disclosed that over 7,000 telecommunication masts and towers belonging to Global System for Mobile Communications[GSM] providers erected all over the country may soon be demolished.
However, the operators has a 30 day window to regularise their operations with NCAA failure of which NCAA said it will immediately embark on mass decommissioning and demolition of all their masts and towers in Nigeria.
The aviation industry regulator said it is compelled to recourse to the line of action because all the telecommunication providers have blatantly failed to obtain the statutory Aviation Height Clearance (AHC] without which all the masts and towers constitute danger to safety of air navigation.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Act, 2006, Section 30(3)(1), empowered the NCAA to prohibit and regulate the installation of any structure which by virtue of its height or position is considered to endanger the safety of air navigation.
At a meeting with the NCAA Director General, Captain Muhtar Usman earlier in the year, he advised Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) members to ensure they obtain Aviation Height Clearance.
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