/ 8 February 2000

NIGERIAN TELECOMS HEAD SUSPENDED

THE head of the Nigerian government agency responsible for overseeing the troubled telecommunications sector has been suspended, the newspaper This Day reported on Thursday. Emma Nnama, who is chief executive officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) was questioned by security agents for 30 minutes in his office Wednesday after his suspension, the paper said. No reason was given for the suspension. The NCC recently announced the names of seven firms short-listed to bid for four licences to run GSM mobile telecommunications in Nigeria. The four winners of the bids are to be announced by the presidency in coming weeks.