Telcom subscribers’ body tasks incoming board of NCC

Telecoms subscribers under the umbrella of National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) have called on the incoming board members of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to make improvement on service quality by telecoms providers as well as the elimination of unsolicited text messages top priority once their nominations are approved by the National Assembly.

It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari forwarded the names of seven persons nominated as members of the Board of NCC to the National Assembly for ratification.

NATCOMS said it would be proper to intimate them of the challenges of the telecoms sector and prepare their minds towards addressing the issues, as they await the approval of the National Assembly.

The President of NATCOMS, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo in a statement said the issue of poor service quality and unsolicited text massages may likely ground telecoms operations in the country if not nipped in the bud.

According to him, telecoms services are deteriorating across networks and subscribers are debited for poor voice clarity and undelivered text messages. He also expressed worry over the incessant broadcast of unsolicited text messages, despite several complaints from subscribers and subsequent warnings from the NCC.

He, therefore, called on the incoming board members to take the issue of poor service quality and unsolicited text messages very seriously as soon as their appointments are ratified. The board, he said, must enforce the use of the CODE 2442 in order to stop unsolicited text messages to subscribers.

Ogunbanjo also urged them to look into the issue of price cap regulation for possible amendment. “The NCC has been operating the N50 Price Cap Regulation since 2001 to date. The board should, as a matter of urgency, reduce the current unrealistic and exploitative price cap of N50 per minute,” he noted.

These are the names the Presidency submitted to National Assembly:  Mr. Sunday Dare, Mr. Aliyu Saidu Abubakar, Mr. Clement Obeiza Baiye, Chief Okoi Ofem Obono Obia, Pastor Ezekiel Yissa and Senator Ifeanyi Ararume with Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye  will serve as the  Chairman of the Board.