As part of its enlightenment activities to broaden the horizon of the people about the rights of telecom consumers across Nigeria, the Nigerian Telecommunications Commission (NCC) on Wednesday took its sensitization crusade to Bodija International Market, Ibadan.
Addressing the people at the market, Mr. Banji Ojo, Head, Consumer Affairs Bureau of NCC stated that members of the public among whom are traders and market leaders have a right to quality telecom services.
Mr. Ojo challenged the market people to always report poor service by any telecom service provider in order to help the commission put them on their toes and invariably serve them better.
The NCC Head of Consumer Affairs said the Commission has decided to take empowerment of telecom consumers to the rural areas in order to get closer to the people.
According to him, the event, which he tagged Market Conversation, was aimed at educating people on how to make good use of their data and also finding lasting solution to the challenges telecom consumers face.
He appealed to appealed to people across the country to report the activities of vandals to the commission or security operatives, stressing that it is necessary to curb cases of vandalisation of telecom infrastructures across the country.
“The Nigeria Police is the overall security agency in Nigeria, but we have an MOU with the Civil Defence as well. If there is any vandal or vandalisation you see, please report it to the police. Please, remember that the police know how to protect your interest.
“However, if you are scared, we have a platform that is for complaints alone. That platform is purely toll-free, which is the 622. If you can lodge your complaints through that, we will pick it and nobody will know your identity. That is the essence of some of these platforms.
“So, you are free to protect the infrastructure because, without the infrastructure, you cannot make that call you intend to make.
“What we are doing in NCC now is to take the empowerment of our consumers to the rural areas, starting with the markets although it is not a new thing. This particular conversation is called market conversation.
“Today we are talking about how to make use of your data. Not just to talk about it, we asked our people what are their challenges. Whatever it is, we have to find solutions to it
“A lot of them have asked us several questions and it is our responsibility to find solutions to them and to ensure that we protect our consumers”. He stated.
Fielding questions about difficulties telecom consumers face whenever they have cause to retrieve their SIM card, Mr. Ojo said telecom consumers are expected to provide canopies and chairs for people who visit their office, noting that although they might be overwhelmed once in a while.
“Sometime, the consumers might overwhelm the operators, and to that extent, there might be reason why some would have to stay under the sun, but it’s not the best. Any businessman knows that without the consumers he has no business.
“But you have raised a very valid point. I will talk to the Zonal Controller in Ibadan and I will implore him to carry out investigations and he will report to me and I will report to the management and actions will be taken, that I can assure you.” Ojo added.
The dignitaries at the event include Babaloja-in-General of Oyo State, Alhaji S. A. Jimoh and Iyaloja of Bodija Market, Sikiratu Adebayo (Tantolohun) among many others.