Dr. Eugene Juwah, executive vice chairman and chief executive officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC) has declared that the telecom regulatory body under his leadership will uphold the principles of transparency, fairness, and firmness in managing the nation’s telecom industry.
Juwah who spoke during a courtesy visit by the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, (Atcon) led by Titi Omo-Ettu, its President, said his administration will entrench stakeholder consultations in all its actions and programmes to ensure that the Commission’s achievements are sustained and expanded.
“You are all aware of the success that this Commission has recorded in the past. I am therefore privileged to have been given this opportunity to serve the nation in a sector whose strides are very visible in the economy. “I have no option than to give it my best shot and to ensure that the legacy of success is sustained, and further expanded”, he said while commending Atcon for visiting to show support in his first week in office.
Juwah promised to continue with the many programmes of the commission that were initiated by its former leadership.
He told Atcon members that on the immediate, the Commission is set to tackle the issue of quality of service and within days will host a stakeholders forum to find address the issue.
To the telecom operators, the NCC boss had a direct message: “We want them to give good services to Nigerians at affordable prices. We want them to play by the rules of regulation. We want them to join us to make the industry better for the benefit of all”.
Juwah said the Commission respects Atcon and its leadership as a credible organization which the Commission will leverage in its consultative processes with the stakeholders. He promised to support the organization in its quest to create awareness about the telecom industry, which is one of the mandates of the Commission.
Omo-Ettu had earlier in his address, said the visit is to congratulate Dr. Juwah and ATCON members that the government has found one of their own who is capable of regulating the industry and that the association will be available to support and advise the Commission.
The Atcon boss reported that the operators are doing their best in the SIM Card registration programme but requested the Commission to give adequate time and publicity about the programme.
“We do not think that the Commission should leave the issue of sensitization to the operators. For one reason: the operators have their own interests and we think that our country has interest that is not discordant but is superior to the interest of the operators.
“We therefore think that our people will listen to NCC more than they will listen to operators”, he said.
On number portability, Omo-Ettu advised the Commission to take a cautious approach in its implementation. “There are many problems that must be resolved and again we caution that it should not be rushed because we did not find it imposed on us, we are deliberately embracing it so why should we begin to rush in a manner that we won’t do it very well”, he said.
He told the NCC boss that up to date, the private sector has not been properly integrated in the nation’s interactions with the international telecom community as done in the other parts of the world. He requested the Commission to take steps to ensure the inclusion of ATCON members as part of its international delegations to international conferences.