The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, has reiterated the Commission’s continuous drive to improve the quality of consumer experience across the country.
Danbatta made this public at Gombe State University, Gombe where a Consumer Conversation programme organised by the Commission was held.
Represented by the Zonal Controller, Kano Zonal Office of the Commission, Adamu Amshi, Danbatta told the audience that the declaration of 2017 as Year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer on March 15, 2017 – World Consumer Rights Day – was consciously done to underscore the pre-eminence of the telecom consumer among the stakeholders of the telecom ecosystem.
The Zonal Controller told the excited audience that the CONSUMER CONVRRSATION is a central programme of the Year of the Telecom Consumer campaigns instituted by NCC to create awareness on the Commission’s main consumer engagement themes which include: Activation of the Do Not Disturb (2442) code to curb incidences of unsolicited Short Message Services (SMS). Amshi said NCC ensures the code is active in the Operators’ switch and it is monitored vigilantly to ensure compliance.
He also discuss other thematic foci of the Year of the Telecom Consumer campaign such as the escalation of unresolved complaints already lodged with the operators by call the 622 Toll Free Line dedicated to the consumer by NCC for this purpose. He advised participants to explore these initiatives to address some of the challenges encountered as subscribers to telecommunications services.
Amshi also advised participants to discontinuance the erroneous information bandied around about Electromagnetic fields (EMF) radiation as it relates to telecom infrastructure stating that research findings have not supported such claims because there other activities all of us indulge in that expose us to more levels of radiation than would ordinarily come from telecom masts for instance.
He requested the audience to participate actively in the Conversation and come up with suggestions that will assist NCC in its regulatory duties.
The event was attended by the representatives of the Vice Chancellor, Commissioner of Police, Federal Road Safety Sector Commander, Commandant Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Provost of Federal College of Education (Technical) Gombe, Director National Orientation Agency Gombe, State Coordinator NESREA, Consumer Protection Council North East Zonal Office, Yeriman Gombe, Dan Iyan Gombe, One of the Faces of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer – Ali Nuhu, President of the University’s Students Union, the Commissioner Public Complaints Commission, and Representatives of telecom companies who came to listen to and engage with consumer on their complaints.
Alhaji Abdulakdir Abubakar, Yeriman Gombe who is also Hakimin Gombe, was the Special Guest of Honour at the event.
