...Agency Warns Operators Against Disconnection of Lines
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| *L-r: Dr. Atoyebi, Assistant Director, Consumer Affairs, Mr. Reuben Muoka, Head, Media and Public Relations, Chairman of NCC, Mr. Peter Igoh, and Mrs. Mary Uduma, Director, Consumer Affairs listening to consumers at the Markudi Outreach Programme |
Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Mr. Peter Igoh, has joined the concerted efforts of the Commission to ensure that phone subscribers register their SIM cards before the expiration of the registration deadline on September 28, 2011.
Leading a team of NCC officials to Harvest FM in Markurdi, Benue State capital, where he was hosted to a live phone-in special segment on radio station, Igoh requested all subscribers in Benue State, and indeed the country, to ensure that their SIM cards are registered.
Igoh, who listed the benefits of SIM card registration to include assisting security agencies to fight crimes for the benefit of the lives and properties of Nigerians, and to ensure a robust and secure citizen data for the country said the Commission is currently working together with the National Identity management Commission to manage this critical information.
He announced the centres housing the NCC SIM registration agents in Benue State, including ones which he personally visited and urged the citizens to come out to do their civic responsibilities, noting that the reason why the Commission appointed SIM registration agents was to ensure that citizens in the interior areas of the country, including localities in Benue State, are not denied the opportunity offered by the registration as the agents are equipped to travel to all the nooks and crannies of the country.
The NCC chairman also took the campaign to the Benue State University, Markudi, where the Commission hosted subscribers to the bimonthly Consumer Outreach Programme. He noted at the programme that the Commission was monitoring the SIM Card Registration
exercise which is currently going on across the nation. Leading a team of NCC officials to Harvest FM in Markurdi, Benue State capital, where he was hosted to a live phone-in special segment on radio station, Igoh requested all subscribers in Benue State, and indeed the country, to ensure that their SIM cards are registered.
Igoh, who listed the benefits of SIM card registration to include assisting security agencies to fight crimes for the benefit of the lives and properties of Nigerians, and to ensure a robust and secure citizen data for the country said the Commission is currently working together with the National Identity management Commission to manage this critical information.
He announced the centres housing the NCC SIM registration agents in Benue State, including ones which he personally visited and urged the citizens to come out to do their civic responsibilities, noting that the reason why the Commission appointed SIM registration agents was to ensure that citizens in the interior areas of the country, including localities in Benue State, are not denied the opportunity offered by the registration as the agents are equipped to travel to all the nooks and crannies of the country.
The NCC chairman also took the campaign to the Benue State University, Markudi, where the Commission hosted subscribers to the bimonthly Consumer Outreach Programme. He noted at the programme that the Commission was monitoring the SIM Card Registration
“The exercise offers a lot of benefits to the consumers as it will bring in more security, provide a reputable databank of telephone users for the country and curb criminal activities among many other benefits”, he said.
He reiterated that at the previous outings of the Consumer Outreach Programme, a number of issues that were of tremendous benefits to the consumers were discussed with a view to informing and empowering consumers as to make them take informed decisions about the services being offered by their service providers.
Igoh listed such issues to include Internet Service Delivery, Interconnection Rates, Customer Care Services, Accessibility to the Helplines of Service Provider and Number Portability. Promotional Activities of the service providers were also discussed, amongst others.
He said it is the importance which the Commission attaches to the ongoing SIM registration that prompted the focus on it in the current SIM registration programme.
Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management of the NCC, Mr. Okechukwu Itanyi who was represented by the Director, Consumer Affairs, Mrs. Mary Uduma, reiterated that the ongoing SIM Card registration is mandatory for all telephone subscribers.
He said Consumers have the option to register their individual SIM Cards with their respective Service Providers, or register all their SIM Cards at once with the NCC, however, double registration is not allowed.
“On a strong note, I wish to urge all Consumers to avoid buying pre-registered SIM Cards and protect their registered telephone lines as they will be fully held responsible for all calls that originate from their SIM Cards”, he said.
Itanyi also reiterated that SIM Card registration is free and advised subscribers to report anyone asking them to pay money for the registration to NCC toll free numbers, or to the nearest police station.
He reiterated that at the previous outings of the Consumer Outreach Programme, a number of issues that were of tremendous benefits to the consumers were discussed with a view to informing and empowering consumers as to make them take informed decisions about the services being offered by their service providers.
Igoh listed such issues to include Internet Service Delivery, Interconnection Rates, Customer Care Services, Accessibility to the Helplines of Service Provider and Number Portability. Promotional Activities of the service providers were also discussed, amongst others.
He said it is the importance which the Commission attaches to the ongoing SIM registration that prompted the focus on it in the current SIM registration programme.
Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management of the NCC, Mr. Okechukwu Itanyi who was represented by the Director, Consumer Affairs, Mrs. Mary Uduma, reiterated that the ongoing SIM Card registration is mandatory for all telephone subscribers.
He said Consumers have the option to register their individual SIM Cards with their respective Service Providers, or register all their SIM Cards at once with the NCC, however, double registration is not allowed.
“On a strong note, I wish to urge all Consumers to avoid buying pre-registered SIM Cards and protect their registered telephone lines as they will be fully held responsible for all calls that originate from their SIM Cards”, he said.
Itanyi also reiterated that SIM Card registration is free and advised subscribers to report anyone asking them to pay money for the registration to NCC toll free numbers, or to the nearest police station.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Communications Commission has issued a directive to all telecom operators to refrain from sending alert messages to subscribers on account of the status of their SIM card registration.
Head, Media and Public Relations of the Commission, Mr. Reuben Muoka, in a statement said the directive became necessary as service providers are sending conflicting information to subscribers, thereby causing unnecessary anxiety among the Nigerian public.
He said that it has come to the knowledge of the regulatory agency that some operators are sending text messages to those who have already registered their SIM cards. Some operators are reported to have also issued a code to their subscribers to check the status of their registration, an action which he said is not necessary.
Head, Media and Public Relations of the Commission, Mr. Reuben Muoka, in a statement said the directive became necessary as service providers are sending conflicting information to subscribers, thereby causing unnecessary anxiety among the Nigerian public.
He said that it has come to the knowledge of the regulatory agency that some operators are sending text messages to those who have already registered their SIM cards. Some operators are reported to have also issued a code to their subscribers to check the status of their registration, an action which he said is not necessary.
Muoka said this action is not tenable as sometimes, the operators issue such texts to those who have already registered with them. He said the action of the operators is worsened by the fact that the NCC-appointed agents have no facility to also send such texts as they travel round, resulting in ugly situations where the operators send texts to those who are already correctly registered by the NCC-appointed agents.
“The SIM registration data being gathered by the operators and those of the NCC-appointed agents, all belong to the NCC. It is only the NCC that will be in the position to tell any subscriber about the status of his or her registration, and that will only happen after the completion of the project”, he said.
The NCC spokesman also assured subscribers that no operator is permitted to disconnect any subscriber on account of SIM card registration until after the expiration of the exercise when the Commission will issue appropriate directives to the operators on the matter.
He advised the subscribers to ensure that the data being supplied at the registration centres are accurate by crosschecking with the registration officers at the point of the registration as those handling the registration have computer monitors where all subscribers can easily see the data supplied and make approval.
“The SIM registration data being gathered by the operators and those of the NCC-appointed agents, all belong to the NCC. It is only the NCC that will be in the position to tell any subscriber about the status of his or her registration, and that will only happen after the completion of the project”, he said.
The NCC spokesman also assured subscribers that no operator is permitted to disconnect any subscriber on account of SIM card registration until after the expiration of the exercise when the Commission will issue appropriate directives to the operators on the matter.
He advised the subscribers to ensure that the data being supplied at the registration centres are accurate by crosschecking with the registration officers at the point of the registration as those handling the registration have computer monitors where all subscribers can easily see the data supplied and make approval.
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