The disbursement of the N4 billion awarded to Nigerian subscribers as compensation arising from poor quality of service by Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) operator would have to wait until the National Assembly settle the dusts raised by landmark decision
CommunicationsWeek
gathered at the weekend that while the Senate, the upper legislative arm of the National Assembly described the N4 billion, the House of Representative is bent on ensuring that the compensation imposed on GSM operators was paid to subscribers appropriately.
The twist and turn in the payment of the compensation has not been helped by the knocks on the report of the Senate committee set up to look into the quality of service being rendered by GSM providers.
The report which the Senate described as ‘watery’ was rejected because of the committee’s failure to recommend any form of sanction for the service providers and for the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for its inability to deal decisively with the service providers in spite of public outcry over poor quality of service.
Senator Omar Hambaga said that "the recommendations are very watery with nothing concrete in it, these recommendations are neither here nor there; they are the usual and normal paper work".
His colleague, Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange also said it was insulting that the service providers were considering paying back over N4 billion to Nigerians.
He calculated that only N420 will come to each subscriber when some subscribers spend as much as N1, 000 a day.
"Asking these unserious service providers to pay N420 per subscriber is not enough punishment to justify the inconveniences cause Nigerian subscribers. There has to be more stringent punishment", he added.
Elsewhere, the House of Representatives Committee on Communication has said that it has resolved to ensure that the compensation imposed on GSM operators was paid to subscribers appropriately.