WE HAVE PAID 50 BILLION NAIRA TO NCC, MTN.

The company, in a statement, explained that the payment was made “on the basis that this will be applied toward a settlement, where one is eventually, hopefully arrived at.

MTN also agreed to withdraw the matter from the High Court in Lagos to achieve an “amicable settlement.

“In renewed steps towards a negotiated settlement and to create a conducive atmosphere for further negotiations, MTN Nigeria today withdrew its case against the NCC at the Federal High Court of Lagos in response to a request by the authorities.

“MTN Nigeria has paid N50 Billion to the Federal Government as a gesture of good faith and commitment to continued efforts towards an amicable resolution”, the statement added.

Meanwhile, the Special Assistant to the Minis

ter of Communications, Mr Victor Oluwadamilare, in a telephone interview, said the ministry cannot ascertain the claimed payment from MTN Nigeria.

The company’s stock has declined 31 percent since the fine originally set at $5.2 billion was made public in October last year.

The NCC had imposed a N1.04 Trillion fine on MTN Nigeria in October 2015, for its failure to disconnect 5.1 Million improperly registered lines within the prescribed deadline.

The fine was adjusted by 25% to N780 billion, an amount that was considered inimical to the survival of the business.