The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has decried theft and vandalism of telecommunication infrastructure across the country.
Its Chairman, Prof. Adeolu Akande, made this known on Friday at the inauguration of Village Square Dialogue in Ibadan.
The Village Square Dialogue is an NCC telecommunication consumer outreach programme at the grassroots.
Akande said there was need to protect telecommunication infrastructure toward ensuring quality service delivery.
He said that there was also need for stakeholders and consumers to protect telecommunication infrastructure, because
security agencies in the country could not be at the sites all the time.
The NCC chairman said that without the telecommunication infrastructure, banking, finance, education, entertainment and effective communication with distant family members, would be difficult.
Akande said that the outreach programme was designed to engage stakeholders in the sector.
“We are here in Ibadan to discuss one of the most important issues affecting protection of telecommunication infrastructure.
“Telecommunication infrastructures are important and we must ensure we take it as critical national infrastructure.
“We need cooperation of members of the public and consumers to protect the infrastructure.
“We are doing this across the country to seek support of Nigerians and telecommunication service providers,” he said.
Also, Mr Efosa Idehen, the NCC Director of Consumers Affairs Bureau, said that mandate of the Bureau was to protect, inform and educate consumers on the need to protect communication infrastructure.
Idehen said that protection of public infrastructure was a collective efforts and not only the NCC.
“Let’s all work together to ensure that the infrastructure is protected for better and quality delivery,” he said.
Commenting, Fatai Ibikunle, the Chairman, National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), thanked NCC for effective regulation of the nation’s communication sector.
Ibikunle thanked the NCC chairman for counting Ibadan worthy for the senstisation programme.
In his remarks, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, describing the event as a welcome development, urged people to cooperate with NCC toward securing of telecommunication gadgets.
IPMAN urges FG to pay outstanding transport claims to members in Southeast
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has appealed to the federal government to pay members in the Southeast N20 billion transportation claims.
Mr Chinedu Anyaso, IPMAN Chairman, Enugu Depot Community in charge of Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu said this in an interview in Awka on Friday.
Anyaso said that non-payment of the money was affecting the businesses of members in the area adversely.
He called on the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), to process and pay verified claims of marketers to enable them to remain in business.
According to him, most of the markers have already defaulted in the loan arrangements with the banks while accumulating more claims in an effort to procure products.
“Marketers in the zone are suffering because of the huge transport claims that have not been attended to by NMDPRA for years now.
“We rely on depots outside the zone for products and it is the transport differential that makes us sell at regular prices but the Federal Government is not paying us.
“At the moment, my members in Southeast are being owed between N15 billion and N20 billion claims.
“We are calling on the Federal Government to pay us so that we can service our loans and remain in business,” he said.
Anyaso also called on the management of the new Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd. to evaluate its facilities in the Southeast.
He said this was with a view to revitalising the Emene Depot in Enugu and enhances distribution in the zone.
