Adebutu Decries Impasse in National Rural Telephony Programme

Chairman House Committee on Rural Development, Honourable Oladipupo Olatunde Adebutu has called for resolution of the current impasse in the National Rural Telephony Programme (NRTP), while acknowledging that current technologies, especially the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), had overtaken events in the sector.

He said because of the huge sums of money the government had already spent on the programme, it is time to seek a way out of the prolonged stalemate.

According to Adebutu “it will be recalled that Phase 1 of NRTP was accomplished with a loan of $200m from China Exim Bank and that despite the fact that the capital and interests have been repaid on the loan, and a further N300m paid as counterpart funding for Phase 11, the programme, quite sadly, has been aborted”.

The lawmaker noted that funds are being provided and moneys are being paid to security companies for protection of the programme’s equipment that have to all intents and purposes become obsolete and which are spread across various parts of the country.

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Adebutu who raised the observations during a Motion presented on the Floor of the House of Representatives, further called on the Federal Government to embark on a process of divestment from NRTP and invite private sector operators to inject fresh funds and technology into the programme as a way of getting it off the ground.

This, he said will be in the best interest of the rural communities and the nation at large, as opposed to a situation where the nation is saddled with debt over an unviable programme.
The House of Representatives resolved to refer the matter to the Committee on Rural Development for investigation and recommedation of a viable resolution while also ensuring that the counterpart funds already paid for in Phase11 be optimally utilized in the “Change Order” proposed in light of present difficulties.

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