(JollofNews) The Government of the Gambia has vowed to come down heavily against any attacks on its national communication system.
The warning follows threats by private telecommunication carrier, MGI, to disrupt the billing platform of the country’s national GSM company, GAMCEL.
MGI has had its contract for the exclusive management of the Gambia’s International Gateway terminated in July by the government.
Unhappy with the decision, the company which was established in 2002 and prides itself with providing high quality connectivity anywhere in the world has allegedly threatened to disrupt the billing platform of GAMCEL unless the government makes a U-turn.
But the government said it has no plans to hand back the exclusive management of the country’ International Gateway to MGI and warned that any deliberate attempt to sabotage the national communication system of the country would be seen as a clear threat to national security.
“We will not be cowed by this cowardice action and will not subdue to any such threats and/or blackmail. We will stand firm with the decision to terminate the MGI contract and we are more resolved today than before,” said Demba Ali Jawo, minister of Information and Communication Infrastructure.
He added: “It is worthy to apprise the public that the billing system was acquired on behalf of GAMCEL and it is the most expensive ever for the company if not around the world. The billing platform cost millions of US dollars yet the company does not have total ownership and control over the system. This is a betrayal of trust through a scheme designed to control, blackmail and direct our decisions as a nation, while perpetuating MGI to continue the management of the International Gateway.
Unfortunately, the agreement that should have been in the name of GAMCEL was between MGI and REDKNEE on a build, operate, transfer (BOT) basis. Also, MGI signed another separate contract on the billing system with GAMCEL for the support services. The BOT agreement of the billing platform is yet to be provided by MGI after numerous follow-ups and could not be traced from either GAMCEL or GAMTEL.”
Something or rather things in the Gambias telecommunications service providers is worth looking into on behalf the general public.
And that is, why are cell phone owners charged now to see their missed calls. This never happened in the country before. One could automatically see on the screen messages and missed calls without having to click for any extra services. It is well understood,some services certainly entails cost to the consumer like downloads, special apps., etc.. but charging for missed calls is near to economic predatory.
And this area is one sector that the government should try to creat an atmosphere of a fair- play for innocent consumers who toiled long hours of near unbelivables loans to earn that 50 bututs being charged for every missed call.Stood to be corrected,but I personally have not seen it anywhere in the world.Please look into it.
Charges for missed calls!!!! It must be a mistake. Certainly deserves government attention.
The MGI must be desperate to threaten disruption of services for losing the International Gateway “contract”, but they are wrong; not least because if it is true that it is unable to produce the original contract document(s), or that those document(s) could not be traced at Gamtel either, then it should be investigated for fraud or some kind of economic crime.
I don’t see the need of a public statement to respond to the MGI threat. Just deal with them through the official channels.
So I recently decided to start using Gamcel’s dongle which I pay for monthly.But to my great surprise they have loose connection for the past 1 week. This is very embarrassing. I hope this issue is fixed soon.
Hon Jawo was the most promising Ministet in the new Gambia. However, aside Hon Fatty, he has been the most disappointing.
Why the government still did not made public the report of the task force headed by Gamtel former MD, Bakary Njie. What is the reason for sitting on the report? Njie started this Gateway fraud You can not ask a thief to catch a thief. This government is not transparent at all. That report should be made available to the press if what Mr Jawo is claiming is true.
Let’s see how the Janneh commission will handle this thorny issue to make it sit well with the people.