Like an organized revolt it came in late 2001 and at the blink of the eye, Nigeria was awash with telephones. That was the beginning of the revolution.
In the burgeoning activities without adequate consumer education some issues were thrown up.
Such issues included false billing, arbitrary disconnection of service, poor service delivery, drop calls, non-chalant attitude towards genuine complaints, supply and installation of substandard equipment and devices, deceptive advertisement, credit depletion, inability to recharge, inability to check credit balance, network failure, and sending/charging for multiple text massages in place of a single one.
Numerous consumer complaints and inquiries poured into Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), necessitating the establishment of the Telecom Consumer Parliament (TCP).
TCP is an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that includes dispute resolution processes and techniques that fall outside of the judicial process.
It is a platform designed by NCC to bring stakeholders in the telecommunications industry together with the aim of resolving Consumer Complaints, as well as informing and educating stakeholders on topical issues that affect the industry.
The idea for setting up the parliament was informed by the need to bridge the information gap between the operators and their consumers and most importantly to provide an avenue for aggrieved subscribers to seek redress against the offending operators
Since its inauguration 10 years ago, the TCP has gained widespread acceptance with consumers, operators and international community.
The monthly Telecom Consumer Parliament puts telecoms operators and the industry regulator on the spotlight of the consumers.
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The Parliament attracts the participation of chief executives of leading communication companies who tackle issues raised by aggrieved subscribers.
Today, consumers can actually protect themselves with proper information rather than rely on rumour mill and ignorant critics who blame the NCC for not protecting consumers.
Looking at the runaway success of the TCP, the ITU described it as a veritable tool for conflict resolution, and has recommended the Consumer Parliament to the members of the global body responsible for telecom administration globally.
And for the first time, consumers of telecommunications services and the providers agree that the alternative dispute resolution system set up in August 2003 by NCC has worked.
Today, better informed and more demanding consumers are now change agents in the telecommunications industry.
We salute the salute the tenacity and the industry of the current leaders at NCC in sustaining the TCP.
NCC is about the only government parastatal that has been active and transparent in carrying along the consumers.
The Parliament has no doubt brought some stability into the Communications sector and is no doubt; one platform the NCC would have to build on in the years ahead.
To do this, the NCC needs to rejig the parliament by documenting all these achievements in permanent form and publish same in major newspapers across the country to avoid repetition.
The TCP can also introduce online dispute resolution (ODR) where the tripod; consumer, operator and NCC are involved