Report Telecom Vandalism, NCC Tells Community Members
The Nigerian Communications Commission NCC has called on members of the communities to report any form of vandalization of telecommunication infrastructures in order to safeguard the equipment and facilities to ensure improved quality of service delivery to the consumers.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Professor Garba Umar Danbatta made the call during a Village Square dialogue with the theme “Protection of Telecom Infrastructure for Improved Quality of Service: The role of residents,” held in the Danbatta Local Government Area of Kano state.
Professor Danbatta represented by the Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity Department, Engr. Bako Wakil stressed the need for the community members to safeguard the telecom infrastructures noting that available statistics show that the telecom experience over 40 fibre cuts per day, stealing of generators, inverter batteries and diesel among others.
He said the protection of telecom infrastructures was a responsibility of all, hence the need for the community members not to hesitate in reporting any suspicious act of vandalizing telecom infrastructure in the interest of all.
According to him, “We are advocating that people in the communities should be at the forefront of protecting the telecommunication infrastructure because without that infrastructure we cannot get the desired quality of services.
“And it is our hope that people in Danbatta area where we are conducting the second edition of village square conversation to enlighten the people towards protecting telecommunication infrastructures particularly the mast, fibre optic that is buried in the ground because if those infrastructures were tampered with, there will not be services. And you will agree with me that today Telecom services have become an essential service to us that all of us cannot do without. So it is in our interest to protect that infrastructure for us to get improved and good quality of service.
“Across the country, there are so many complaints of vandalization and destruction of infrastructure. The recent data we have shows that the service providers on a daily basis experience over 40 fibre cuts in a day. They also experience stealing generators, inverter batteries, diesel and so on.
“People know how to complain about poor services but don’t know that it is the actions of those bad elements that are tempering with our infrastructures that are causing the issues,” Danbatta said.
In his remarks, the District Head of Danbatta and Sarkin Ban Bichi, Alhaji Isyaku Wada Waziri assured the commission that the people of his community would support the commission in protecting the telecom infrastructures in the area.
Highlights of the programme include consumers equipped with techniques for reporting issues that needed prompt intervention and response by the Commission among other issues.
