The minister of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, has warned all telecommunications service providers in Nigeria of the implication of not adhering to the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) regulations.
Johnson, who inaugurated a Compendium of the Rights of Telecommunication Subscribers in Nigeria as an effort to improve consumer education and protect the rights of subscribers from certain exploitative activities of some telecommunications operators, reminded the telecoms service providers that, “the CPC is an agency that can bark and bite.”
The minister reiterated the need for the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to strengthen its collaboration with the CPC to address subscribers’ complaints bordering on poor telecoms service delivery.
In her remarks at the event, director-general of CPC, Mrs. Dupe Atoki, said: “Like most interventions and innovations that have such an immensebearing on the general populace, abuses are prevalent.
Such abuses remain unabated if the consumers of these products or services know little or nothing about their rights in this regard. On the other hand, the conglomerates that provide these products or services benefit from the apathy of the uninformed consumers.
“The Nigerian consumers of telecoms services have been unable to assert their rights due largely to ignorance of these rights and where to complain. Therefore, in celebrating the World Consumer Rights Day, with the theme ‘Fix Our Phone Rights’, the CPC believes that the way forward is to codify the rights of telecommunications subscribers so that they can access, read and understand these rights.”
Additionally, the CPC’s DG added that, “These rights come under segments such as poor network, unsolicited services, unlawful deductions/non-transparent billing, exploitative automated services, unauthorised SIM swaps/line disconnection, poor internet services and poor customer service.
“The Compendium of the Rights of Telecoms Subscribers in Nigeria was developed by the CPC and is being launched as part of the commemoration of the World Consumer Rights Day. The consumer can take the compendium, which is very simple and concise, to the relevant operators and say this is my right. The initiative is one step for us in our advocacy platform for public enlightenment in Nigeria.”
