Business
Group meets NCC Over SIM Card Registration
The National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) says it has fixed a meeting in August with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over the ongoing SIM card registration.
NATCOMS President, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo told newsmen recently in Lagos that the meeting was to register its reservations and suggest the way forward.
According to Ogunbanjo, although the registration exercise had started, many subscribers are not aware of it .
He said that NATCOMS had earlier planned to protest the poor publicity in July but cancelled it.
“We cancelled it because Dr Bashir Gwandu had replaced Mr Stephen Bello as the new Acting Chief Executive Officer of NCC.
“The suspension of the protest is to give the Acting Chief Executive the time to strategise and take control of the new job,” he said.
According to him, with the pace the registration is going, telecoms operators will not register up to 10 million subscribers out of the over 78 million within the six-month deadline.
The NATCOMS chief noted that little or no publicity had been given to the initiative, adding that the only publicity from NCC was on December, 31, 2009.
“This is grossly inadequate. Indeed, the timing of the publication completely diminished its effectiveness as the target audience were well away on vacation amidst sumptuous festivity,” he said.
Ogunbanjo said that there should be proper sensitisation on the television and radio since the one done in December 2009 was in a newspaper.
“This is because many Nigerians are illiterates. The television and radio adverts should be done in languages understandable by the subscribers.
“A percentage of every call made by a subscriber goes to the coffers of NCC and NCC should use part of the money to give adequate sensitisation to the consumers.
“It is the right of subscribers to be aware and know the requirements and processes of the registration.
“NCC should create an enabling environment so that the SIM cards registration will be embraced by the subscribers because it is a laudable project,’’ he said.
Ogunbanjo said that the meeting with the NCC would also discuss issues of Quality of Service and tariff reduction.
Business
NAFDAC Decries Circulation Of Prohibited Food Items In markets …….Orders Vendors’ Immediate Cessation Of Dealings With Products
Importers, market traders, and supermarket operators have therefore, been directed to immediately cease all dealings in these items and to notify their supply chain partners to halt transactions involving prohibited products.
The agency emphasized that failure to comply will attract strict enforcement measures, including seizure and destruction of goods, suspension or revocation of operational licences, and prosecution under relevant laws.
The statement said “The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised an alarm over the growing incidence of smuggling, sale, and distribution of regulated food products such as pasta, noodles, sugar, and tomato paste currently found in markets across the country.
“These products are expressly listed on the Federal Government’s Customs Prohibition List and are not permitted for importation”.
NAFDAC also called on other government bodies, including the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service(NIS) Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria Shippers Council, and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), to collaborate in enforcing the ban on these unsafe products.
