Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned telecommunications operators to comply with its directives or be sanctioned.
Mr. Ismail Adedigba, deputy director, Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB) of NCC, warned the operators of standards defaults.
He spoke during the 45th edition of the Consumer Town Hall Meeting (CTM) in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state and said that the commission gave directives due to numerous complaints it received from telecommunications consumers.
According to him, the commission had been inundated with various complaints such as unsolicited text messages and calls.
Adedigba said the commission had equally received complaints on failure/refusal to roll over unused data at the expiration of data bundle by service providers.
He said there were complaints of automatic renewal of data services upon expiration and activation/subscription to data and Value Added Services (VAS) without prior consent of the subscribers.
He said there were also complaints pertaining to call masking and refiling.
The Deputy Director assured that the commission, as consumer-centric institution, had taken appropriate steps in response to the above major complaints.
He said: “The regulatory body has developed the 2442 Do Not Disturb (DND) Short Code to solve unsolicited text messages/calls. It has taken a step on the issuance of direction to service providers on data rollover.
“This enables consumers to roll over unused data for a period of time, ranging from one day to seven days, depending on data plan of the consumer. This took effect from June 26. NCC has issued directives to service providers on forceful subscription of data services and Value Added Services (VAS).
“This is to enable them desist from forceful/automatic renewal of data services, without prior consent of subscribers. This has taken effect from May 21. The commission also developed 622 Toll-Free Line through which you can easily lodge complaints for any unresolved service issue to the NCC.”
Adedigba warned that failure of the operators to comply with the above directives would attract appropriate penalties and sanctions.
In respect to call masking and refiling, he said the commission was working seriously to abate the ugly development, including deployment of appropriate technology as a strategy to combat it.
He said NCC believed the consumer was the ‘king’ and as such, must be accorded the basic rights, including the right to be heard, educated, to choose, seek redress as well as right to safety.
Sen. Olabiyi Durojaiye, chairman, Board of NCC, said that the programme was to enable a tripartite meeting of the regulator, operators and consumers.
Mr. Bashir Idris, deputy director, Government and Public Relations Unit, NCC, represented Durojaiye at the occasion.
The chairman said the meeting was also aimed at enlightening telecommunications consumers and resolving pressing issues with respect to provision of services.
He said it would also serve as a feedback mechanism for the commission in making regulatory interventions for the benefit of the consumers, service providers, and the industry as a whole.
In a related development, NCC has assured the public that none of the over 160 million telecoms subscribers in Nigeria would be disconnected or suffer service disruptions as a result of its recent order to permit the disconnection of indebted operators from other operators’ networks.
This assurance was given in Abuja at the weekend by Mr. Sunday Dare, NCC’s Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management.
Dare clarified that the approval given by the NCC was not for any network to disconnect subscribers as being wrongly presented in some media, but for some creditor networks to restrict services to debtor networks.
He stated that: “the NCC is a consumer-centric regulator; the protection of our consumers and the sustainability of the industry are the primary drivers of our activities. So, in this case, even before we granted the permission for disconnection, we had put some very stringent safety valves in place to protect consumers and ensure that they continue to enjoy uninterrupted service while we address the very serious issue of indebtedness in the industry.”
Dare therefore, encouraged telephone consumers to be rest-assured, noting that the NCC would continue to use all its powers to protect both the consumers and the entire industry.
