Reps threaten to sanction MTN, Airtel, others over CSR

The House of Representatives on Tuesday threatened to sanction telecommunication giants, MTN, Airtel, and other companies for failing to perform their Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR).

The Chairman of the House Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility, Oby Orogbu, gave the warning during a public hearing on “a bill to regulate corporate social responsibility in Nigeria,” in Abuja.

She said the committee would enact laws to sanction any offenders in that regard.

Orogbu, however, gave MTN and Airtel the last warning to honour the committee’s invitation or face the arrest warrant.

She lamented that some companies operating in the country have over time violated the law, hence the need for punishment to be imposed on them.

The chairman also decried the conduct of the National Communications Commission (NCC), MTN, and Airtel, adding that they had previously ignored the committee’s invitation.

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She said: “Section 89, 8 of the Constitution mandates individual companies as invited to make themselves available to parliament, but they break the law.

“I want to tell MTN and Airtel that they take so much from our nation and they feel too big to appear before the parliament; we will not tolerate that.

“We gave them the powers to operate in Nigeria, so to refuse to honor the invitation of the parliament is a no-no; we take exception to it.

“I have taken all friendly measures to make them understand the need to appear before the parliament, but they have refused.”

“If you feel you are responsible, then you should appear before the parliament. We want you to be responsible and accountable.”

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