NCC Tasks Telecoms Users On Rights Defence

The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications
Commission (NCC), Dr Eugene Juwah, on Friday urged telecommunications consumers
in the country to protect their rights.

Speaking at the First National Telecoms Subscribers Summit
in Lagos, Juwah said they could do this by reporting to the appropriate authorities
any unfair practice by the telecoms operators.

The summit with the theme ‘’Nigerian Telecoms Revolution:
Consumerism as the Last mile Challenge’’ was organised by the National
Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS).

Represented by Mr Tony Ojobo, the Director of Public
Affairs, NCC, Juwah urged the consumers to take advantage of the Consumer
Affairs Bureau (CAB), established by the commission to protect their rights.

“In a bid to implement this mandate, the commission
established the Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB) in September, 2001,” he said.

He said that one of the commission’s mandates was to protect
and promote the interest of consumers against unfair practices from their
service providers.

According to him, there is a paradigm shift from mere
service provision to ensuring that consumer satisfaction ranks highest in
priority, in the provision of ICT goods and services.

He added that the telecommunications umpire ensured that
consumers were compensated when wrongfully billed/loss of service.

“The consumer occupies the central position in our scheme of
things and comes top among all our stakeholders,” he said.

Juwah said that NCC had developed a Consumer Web Portal,
serving as an interactive avenue to disseminate information on its activities
and initiatives toward achieving consumer protection.

He said the portal was also to empower consumers and get
feedback from them on the performances of service providers as well as the
commission.

The President of NATCOMS, Mr Deolu Ogunbanjo said that the
aim of the Advocacy Group was to foster understanding of consumer issues among
stakeholders in the industry.

He said that NATCOMS had been monitoring and working with
service providers on regular basis to ensure good quality service delivery.

Ogunbanjo added that the association was charged with the
responsibility of educating consumers on the protection of their rights and
other telecoms issues.