The Management of Zinox Technologies Limited, Nigeria’s foremost Information and Communications Technology (ICT) conglomerate has faulted a report published in the Vanguard Newspaper on Thursday March 3rd linking it to the illegal lodgment of proceeds of the sale of broadband spectrum to telecommunication giants, MTN by the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
According to the report, the NBC had received the sum of N34.1 billion on July 28, 2015 from MTN as proceeds of lease of broadband spectrum bandwidth licensed to MTN by the commission, a controversial deal which has met with stiff disapproval from other telecoms players in Nigeria.
The report had gone on to state that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had commenced investigation into the matter after top officials of the NBC had reportedly diverted N10 billion out of the sum received to four companies which the NBC allegedly gave contracts without bidding.
In a swift reaction to the publication, Company Secretary and Legal Adviser, Zinox Technologies Ltd., Barr. Chris Eze Ozims described the allegation as the handiwork of hatchet-men eager to rubbish the company’s hard-earned and long-standing reputation for integrity.
“Zinox was not paid a kobo by the NBC. We are indeed shocked to read from Vanguard Newspapers that Zinox Technologies Limited was one of the companies the NBC paid cash to.
“We wish to make it clear that till date, we are yet to receive a kobo from the NBC for duly approved contracts which we executed. As a strong technology company with credible capacity and advanced competencies, we had participated in a bid process for the NBC license for supply of Set-Top boxes for the digital rollover. We were successfully pre-qualified and had paid N50 million to the NBC for the license. Thereafter, we were invited to bid alongside other companies and we won and were awarded a contract to supply 150,000 units of the boxes.
“Till date, a single kobo has not been released to us for the supply of the items. The Federal Government of Nigeria, the NBC and even the EFCC are fully aware of this. It is, therefore, embarrassing to the Management of the company and our local and global partners to have our names linked to any breach of due process at the NBC,” he noted.
Noting that the company will not hesitate to consider legal avenues of seeking redress for the malicious and unsubstantiated claims, Barr. Ozims reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the growth and development of the Nigerian ICT sector as well as the democratization of access to information, jobs and wealth creation for millions of Nigerians through its knowledge democracy platforms.
