N’Assembly lacks power to regulate telecom operators — Lawyer
A lawyer, Sesan Bankole, says the National Assembly lacks the power to regulate or sanction telecom operators, arguing this is the NCC’s responsibility. Read More: https://punchng.com/nassembly-lacks-power-to-regulate-telecom-operators-lawyer/
Lawyer Sesan Bankole has stated that the National Assembly does not possess the authority to oversee telecommunications operators or penalize them, as this responsibility falls to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The controversy arises from the House of Representatives threatening to issue arrest warrants against CEOs of major telecom companies who have not appeared before an ad hoc committee investigating poor network services.
The committee has given the CEOs until November 4, 2026, to comply, warning that non-compliance could lead to arrest.
Bankole argues that the National Assembly's power is limited to investigating for lawmaking or exposing corruption in publicly funded activities, as outlined in Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution. He contends that such investigations should not extend beyond these purposes, and any deviation would be invalid. He also questions the committee's insistence on personal appearances, stating that companies can appoint authorized representatives to speak on their behalf.
The lawyer referred to the case of Senate of the National Assembly v. Tony Momoh (1981) to support his argument that legislative investigations must align with constitutionally permitted purposes. He also raised concerns about the committee's insistence on personal appearances, stating that companies could appoint authorized representatives to speak on their behalf.
Additionally, Bankole described the summons as sub judice, referring to a pending lawsuit instituted by ALTON in 2018, which challenges repeated legislative summonses of telecommunications executives.
Another commentator, Ilemona Onoja, has also raised questions about the constitutional basis for the summons, arguing that privately owned telecommunications companies are not automatically within the National Assembly's investigative powers simply because their services affect the public. Onoja cited Senate of the National Assembly v.
Tony Momoh and a 2023 Court of Appeal decision in SPDC v. Speaker of the House of Representatives to support his position. He urged lawmakers to address structural challenges affecting telecommunications investment and network expansion, such as fibre-optic cable vandalism, multiple taxation, and inconsistent right-of-way charges.
Written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
