MTN, Airtel, Glo and T2 Challenge House Probe Into Poor Network Service

Nigeria’s major telecom operators have sued the House of Representatives over its investigation into poor network service.

They are asking the Federal High Court in Abuja to decide whether the House has the constitutional power to conduct the probe and summon their chief executives.

The case was filed on November 4 by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), MTN Nigeria, Airtel Networks, Globacom and Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services, which operates T2 Mobile. TechCabal reported that it had seen the court filing.

The operators are asking the court to interpret Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution. Section 88 sets out the National Assembly’s power to conduct investigations. Section 89 gives lawmakers powers to gather evidence and summon witnesses in those investigations.

The question before the court is how those powers apply to the House’s inquiry into the quality of mobile network services. The operators want the court to determine whether the inquiry falls within the House’s investigative powers and whether lawmakers can require their chief executives to appear and answer questions.