Daud Olatunji
The Senate has directed its Committee on Communications to summon the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), MTN, Globacom and other telecommunications operators over alleged unjustified airtime deductions suffered by subscribers across the country.
The directive followed the consideration of a motion sponsored by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Muhammed Monguno (APC, Borno North), and seconded by Senator Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North), during plenary on Wednesday.
The motion, which was moved on behalf of Monguno by Senator Lola Ashiru (APC, Kwara South), raised concerns over persistent complaints by telecommunications subscribers about airtime deductions arising from failed calls, dropped connections and interrupted conversations.
The lawmakers expressed concern that millions of Nigerians were losing money to network-related failures without receiving corresponding communication services.
Presenting the motion, Ashiru noted that telecommunications services had become indispensable to individuals, businesses and public institutions, with millions of Nigerians depending on mobile networks for their daily activities.
He observed that subscribers frequently experienced dropped calls, unsuccessful connections and interrupted conversations, despite being charged for the services.
According to the lawmakers, the situation has forced many subscribers to make repeated calls to complete conversations, resulting in additional expenses caused by network inefficiencies beyond their control.
The Senate further noted that the cumulative financial implications of such deductions could amount to substantial losses for millions of subscribers, particularly traders, students and small-scale business operators who depend heavily on telecommunications services.
Seconding the motion, Nwoko described the intervention as timely, arguing that telecommunications challenges affected virtually every Nigerian and required urgent attention from regulatory authorities.
He maintained that subscribers should not be made to pay for services that were not effectively delivered, insisting that the concerns deserved appropriate regulatory intervention.
Following deliberations, the Senate mandated its Committee on Communications to investigate complaints relating to failed calls, dropped calls and interrupted connections, as well as determine the financial losses incurred by subscribers.
The committee was also directed to invite the NCC, MTN, Globacom and other relevant telecommunications operators to explain the circumstances surrounding the alleged deductions and the measures being taken to protect consumers.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, further directed the committee to engage the minister overseeing telecommunications and the leadership of the NCC as part of the investigation.
The committee is expected to submit its findings and recommendations to the Senate within four weeks for possible legislative action.
The development comes amid growing concerns over the quality of telecommunications services in Nigeria, with subscribers frequently complaining about poor network performance, dropped calls, failed data connections and unexplained deductions.
The outcome of the Senate investigation is expected to determine the extent of the financial burden on consumers and whether telecommunications operators and the industry regulator have adequately discharged their responsibilities to subscribers.
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