By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), has warned Globacom Nigeria Limited in Abuja, to pay its over N1.3 billion telecommunication duct debt or risk being sealing of its premises.

Accordingly, the Authority has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the telecom to comply with the payment or risk business and switch premises being sealed up.

Addressing journalists during a visit to some of the telecommunication’s critical infrastructures in Abuja, the Chairman, Finance and General Purpose Committee of the 7th FCDA board, Hussein Monguno, said move was part of the effort to recover the over the N7.

He said that since the commencement of full liberalization of the Telecommunication duct network in 2004 Globacom has never complied with the payment of the lease agreement.

Monguno said that although other telecommunication companies have responded positively, Globacom Nigeria Limited has failed to show any commitment.

“When we were sworn in to this board, the minister finds it necessary to constitute a committee for debt recovery when the committee was constituted.

“There are about 7.8 billion naira or thereabout debt, being owed to FCDA by different telecommunication companies, we wrote them a letter. We invited them to come and either accept or disagree with the billing system because FCDA has a very good billing system.

“Some of them actually paid. As I speak now, MTN is actually on credit, and several others have payed, but the case of Glo is quite different. They have never responded and they are the highest debtors of N1.3 billion.

“FCDA has built this infrastructure to give them an enabling environment to operate. They have to reciprocate our effort by paying for the service. So, if they don’t pay the debt, we know what to do. They have signed an agreement, and the content of the agreement is very rich. We can do quite a lot, we can seal up this place and we can also disconnect them.

Also, the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Zaliha’u Ahmed said all efforts made to recover this debt have failed and every attempt to get M/s Globacom Nigeria Limited to reason with FCDA and make payments of their indebtedness has fallen on deaf ears.

She said Globacom’s indebtedness to FCDA on the lease of telecommunications duct amount to N1.3 billion.

“We will not hesitate to seal up all their operations, with a view to ensure that they pay the debts.

“For the past six months, we have been writing them. We have written several letters and several reminders. We have invited them for meetings, but they disregard all these, so we don’t have any other option than to do what we are doing.

“If we conceal their operations, maybe it will send a message and it’s not only to Globacom but to anybody that refuses to pay the statutory services.”