NCC Staff Allege Abuse, Corruption, Irregular Recruitment Under EVC Dr. Aminu Maida, Call for Probe

Some staff members of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have accused Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Dr. Aminu Maida of widespread corruption, abuse of power, staff victimisation, and intimidation. Operating under the name Concerned Staff of the NCC, they allege management has refused to promote existing employees citing “no vacancies” while approving the recruitment of over 50 new staff.
The workers further claimed that the introduction of a voluntary redundancy scheme is being used to force out existing employees to create vacancies for preferred candidates, amid alleged board interference and staff intimidation, including involvement of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Sources also allege that Maida frequently travels abroad, particularly to the UK, without handing over responsibilities, leaving oversight to close associates. Staff warned that no individual is above the law and called on the Minister of Communications, anti-corruption agencies, the National Assembly, and the media to investigate irregular recruitment, the redundancy scheme, intimidation practices, and alleged declining service quality at the NCC.

#NCCCorruption #AminuMaida #NigerianTelecoms #StaffAbuse #IrregularRecruitment

President Tinubu Abolishes 5% Telecoms Tax For Nigerians.

President Bola Tinubu has approved the scrapping of the controversial 5% excise duty, which applied to mobile voice and data services in the nation’s telecommunications services.
President Tinubu Abolishes 5% Telecoms Tax For Nigerians
This development was disclosed by the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Aminu Maida, during a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.

He confirmed that the excise levy, which was initially suspended in 2023, has now been officially removed under revised national tax laws.

Naija News understands that the total removal of the tax is aimed at easing financial pressures on consumers and businesses in Nigeria’s digital economy.

“The 5% excise duty is no longer in effect.

“Initially, it was only suspended, but the President has now completely removed it. I was present when the issue was raised, and he firmly said, ‘No, we cannot place this burden on Nigerians.’ I was very pleased to see that this directive was upheld in the new legislation,” Maida said during the press briefing.

President Tinubu first suspended the tax in July 2023 as part of a broader fiscal policy overhaul aimed at mitigating the impact of multiple tax burdens on businesses and households. The suspension came through a series of executive orders signed shortly after he assumed office.

However, the issue resurfaced in October 2024, when the National Assembly proposed reinstating the tax as part of broader revenue-generating measures, which also included levies on gaming, betting, and lottery services.

The proposal was met with strong resistance from the telecom sector.

The matter has now been laid completely to rest based on the revelation by the NCC boss during his press briefing.

Nigerians Applaud as Pres Tinubu Scraps 5% Telecom Excise Duty in New Tax Law.

President Bola Tinubu has permanently removed the 5 per cent excise duty on telecommunications services, a move expected to reduce cost burdens on subscribers.

The Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, confirmed the development during an interactive session with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday. “The excise duty… is no longer there,” Maida said.

“Before it was suspended, but now the president has removed it entirely. I was in the room when it came up, and he said, ‘No, we cannot put this on Nigerians.’ I was very pleased when the bills came out and his words were followed through.” The scrapped levy was part of a broader tax reform initiative under the proposed Nigeria Tax Act, aimed at consolidating and repealing existing taxation laws.

Introduced in 2022 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, the duty faced heavy criticism from industry players and consumers alike.

President Tinubu suspended the policy in July 2023, citing its negative impact on Nigerians and the economy. Its full removal, Maida noted, would now ease pressure on subscribers and encourage growth in the telecom sector, which is central to Nigeria’s digital economy.

He added that the NCC is pursuing broader reforms focused on transparency, accountability, and consumer protection. One of the initiatives, a public map of network performance showing independent data on download speeds, latency, and service quality, is expected to be released in September.

Tinubu Scraps 5% Telecoms Tax — NCC

President Bola Tinubu has permanently abolished the 5% excise duty on telecommunications services, a levy that had drawn widespread criticism from industry players and consumer advocates.

The Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Aminu Maida, confirmed the decision at a media briefing in Abuja, noting that while the duty was only suspended in 2023, it has now been completely removed under revised tax laws.

“The President said clearly that we cannot place this burden on Nigerians, and the directive has now been enshrined in the new legislation,” Maida said.

The excise duty, which applied to mobile voice and data services, had been faulted for driving up digital access costs and threatening telecom operators already struggling with rising expenses. Proposals to reinstate it in 2024 were strongly resisted by stakeholders, who argued it would stifle growth in Nigeria’s digital economy.

#DigitalEconomy #Telecoms #Nigeria