The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said it has
tightened the noose against cases of data depletion and wrong deductions of
consumers’ credit through an ongoing forensic audit instituted by the
Commission to ensure maximum protection for consumers.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta,
stated this when he received the Man of the Year 2020 Award from MoneyReport
magazine recently in Abuja.
The EVC said while consumer protection remains a key focus
area of the Commission’s regulatory activities, it has accomplished significant
improvements in this direction through various initiatives aimed at putting
mobile operators on their toes to be more consumer-centric.
He said through the ongoing forensic audit, the Commission
plans “to get to the bottom of why consumers are experiencing data depletion
and the possibility of compensating them for wrong deductions, which may arise
from short message service (SMS).”
“We have instituted and we have insisted that despite the
fall in data price, that forensic audit must go on and must be concluded and
the outcome communicated to the CEOs of telecom companies”, Danbatta said.
While appealing to Nigerians to wait for the outcome of the
ongoing forensic audit, Danbatta said operators will be made to comply with
whatever directions are given after the investigation with a view to ensuring
maximum protection for telecom consumers.
He, however, noted that the Commission has developed
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on data depletion, which are designed to
inform consumers on activities that may result in faster depletion of their
data as well as enlighten them on measures to mitigate such. The FAQs are
accessible from the Commission’s website.
”Over the years, the NCC has given a boost to consumer
protection empowerment through sustained awareness creation and education on
consumer rights and privileges. It was for this reason that the Commission
declared the year 2016 as the ‘Year of the Consumer’ with elaborate programmes
to further underscore the NCC’s commitment to consumer protection, information
and education. The Commission has intensified its compliance monitoring
exercises with the acquisition of efficient tools and capacities to bring
sanity in the industry all in a bid to improve the quality of consumer
experience.
Among several initiatives, Danbatta said the introduction of
the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) has helped over 30 million consumers block unsolicited
text messages on their phones while stern regulatory actions are constantly
taken by the regulator against any operator that prevents a consumer from
subscribing to the DND service.
Also, the EVC said the Commission launched the 622 Toll-free
Number, which consumers can use to lodge and escalate service-related
complaints to the Commission for resolution, stating that thousands of
complaints have been successfully resolved since its introduction.
He further restated the commitment of the NCC to the
protection and empowerment of telecom consumers using the over 208 million
active telephone lines in the country, as according to him, consumers remain
critical stakeholders in the Nigerian telecommunications sector and so must be
adequately protected to ensure sustainability.
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