Adebayo Shittu

GBENRO ADESINA/IBADAN

The Minister of Communication, Barrister Adebayo Shittu has debunked the claim that some cabals have hijacked the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari stressing that the president is in control of government at the centre. Shittu stated this during a courtesy visit to the Correspondents’ Chapel in Ibadan and noted that government can only be hijacked from a leader who believe in laissez-faire in style and not a well rounded and qualitative leader like Buhari.

According to him, the issue of cabal hijacking the governance from President Buhari only exists in the minds of speculators as such is very far from the reality.

Speaking on other issues, Shittu described himself as a victim of unimpressive service delivery of network providers in the telecommunication industry noting that efforts are on-going to make all telecommunication outfits give quality service to the people.

The minister who disclosed that there are 158 million active telephone lines in the country noted further that there is a need to consider the environment where these service providers operate which negatively affect their service as power failure, vandalism of their equipment and other challenges accounted for some of their problems.

On the Nigeria Postal Service, NPS, the minister hinted that the mandate of the agency would soon be expanded which would include financial transactions to cater for rural areas where there are no banks.
He added that NIPOST property and Development Company would take care of NIPOST excess lands to develop them into shopping malls that would provide employment for youths.

The minister added that the issue of fine imposed on the telecommunication giant, MTN, has been settled as because the Federal Government and the company had done the needful. He noted that the fine was reduced after considering the role the company had played in the area of unemployment of jobless youths in the country.
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