The Nigerian Communication Commission -NCC, had yesterday, expressed worries over theft and vandalization of telecommunication infrastructures across the country.
The NCC said that security agencies could not be at all sites of the telecommunication infrastructures, hence, the need for stakeholders and consumers to safeguard them.
Speaking in Ibadan at the Village Square Dialogue, a telecom consumer outreach program at the grassroots by NCC, the chairman of the commission, Prof Adeolu Akande, emphasized the need to safeguard telecommunication infrastructure, adding that without the telecom infrastructure, communication with families in long distances as well banking, finance, education, and entertainment would be prevented.
He noted that the event was one of the programs designed to engage stakeholders in the sector, adding that the decision to hold the event in Ibadan was borne out of pride in the town being both the pacesetter state and most populous in black Africa.
“We are presently in Ibadan to discuss one of the most important issues affecting the protection of telecom infrastructures, telecom infrastructures are important, and we must ensure we take it as critical national infrastructure.” Akande had said.
“We need the cooperation of members of the public and consumers to protect the infrastructures, we are doing this across the country to seek the support of Nigerians and telecom service providers.”
The NCC Director of Consumers Affairs Bureau, Efosa Idehen in his remark, noted that one of the mandates of the Bureau was to protect, inform and educate the consumers on the need to guide and protect telecom infrastructures.
He, however, declared that the protection of public infrastructure was a collective effort and not only meant for the NCC.