Workers of the Nigerian Communication Satellite have petitioned the Minister of Communications, Mrs. Omobola Johnson over the proposed privatisation of the company and the imminent sacking of 150 members of staff.
In a petition signed by General Secretary, Mr. Chris Onakpo, the workers, under the aegis of the National Union of Postal and Telecommunications Employees said “Consequent upon your press release earlier in the year on the planned privatisation of NigComSat, it has become imperative as a representative of NigComSat to write you stating unequivocally our position on the subject matter. As a union, we wish to state that workers of NigComSat are vehemently resisting the planned privatisation due to the following reasons:
“NigComSat is a satellite communications company that provides satellite bandwidth in this country. We believe that if your ministry had compelled government agencies to subscribe to NigComSat for their satellite bandwidth needs, the issue of viability of this company will not be called to question.
“If we may ask: What is the ministry’s bandwidth policy? Government agencies like the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Nigerian Television Authority, etc. that use huge bandwidth do not subscribe to NigComSat but other foreign service providers, which come with huge costs compared to the cheap bandwidth provision by NigComSat.
“We believe that you are aware of the role NigComSat is playing as regards the pilot scheme of the CBN’s cashless policy. At the end of this scheme, it is expected that the CBN will need at least four KU transponders to drive this process, which is a conservative rate of $800,000 per transponder annually. This alone will generate $2.4m per annum for NigComSat.
“You are aware of the huge capital and human resources that have been deployed in this project. Our members and brilliant military personnel have been trained on this project. Privatising NigComSat will cause the military to subscribe to privately owned satellite bandwidth to drive the process.
“In this era of terrorism and security challenges, does the Federal Government believe that the most secured satellite bandwidth for this laudable project should be privately driven? How long will sensitive government information and data be processed through privately owned telecommunication companies?
“As a union and a responsive stakeholder in the communication sector, we believe that the project should be considered sensitive for the government to discontinue the planned privatisation of NigComSat.
“We wish to ask why Galaxy Backbone, a government owned agency, is not subscribing their satellite bandwidth requirements from NigComSat, a fellow government owned agency, before subscribing elsewhere? Instead, they prefer to subscribe to SES, a foreign satellite bandwidth company even when it is clear that it is cheaper with NigComSat, which has the capacity to deliver.
“We are also aware of the ongoing workers’ review, rationalisation and downsizing in NigComSat, which is to exit about 150 workers. As a union, we are at a loss as to why the planned privatisation should start with rationalisation of workers. This is a wrong process and we shall vehemently resist the rationalisation of our members in NigComSat all in the name of privatisation.”
The Workers asked the federal government to properly fund the company so as to raise its full potential.