By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Friday, tasked Nigerians to secure all the telecommunication infrastructure in their areas.
Chairman, Board of Commissioners of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Adeolu Akande gave the task at the third edition of Village Square Dialogue organised by NCC held in Ibadan.
He maintained that it is now time for Nigerians to see telecom infrastructure as their own and protect them as communal property as the security agencies alone cannot provide all the needed security at all sites of the telecommunication infrastructures.
” Issues like hostile communities, theft of diesel, batteries and power generators, digging up and cutting of fibre optic cables, sealing/locking up of Base Transceiver Station (BTS) sites and other disruptive activities must be tackled decisively by all of us. I, therefore, urge you all to see telecom infrastructure as your own and to protect them as communal property”, he said
The NCC Chairman added, ” we need cooperation of members of the public and consumers to protect the infrastructures, we are doing this across the country to seeks support of Nigerians and telecoms service provider.”
“Without telecom infrastructure, we cannot communicate with family and friends over long distances, and as well cannot conduct banking, insurance, access government services, education, entertainment and other essentials of life with ease. This means that telecom infrastructures are important and we must all ensure that we guard and protect this Critical National Infrastructure”.
Professor Akande emphasized that there is the needs for collaboration with the stakeholders and consumers on the protection of the telecommunication infrastructures, saying, ” we are here in Ibadan to discuss one of the most important issue affecting protection of telecom infrastructures, telecom infrastructures are important, and we must ensure we take it as critical national infrastructure”.
In his lecture entitled “Protection of telecoms infrastructure for improves quality of service: roles of residents”, at the Village Square Dialogue, the Director of Consumers Affairs Bureau, Efosa Idehen said one of the mandate of the Bureau is to protect, inform and educate the consumers on the needs to guide and protect communication infrastructures.
He stressed that protection of public infrastructure is a collective efforts and not meant for NCC or security operatives alone urging, “let’s all work together to ensure that the infrastructure is protected for better and quality delivery.”
Chairman, Nigerian Lottery Regulatory Commission, Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle in his remarks while lauded NCC for effective regulatory of communication sectors in Nigeria thanked the NCC chairman for counting Ibadan worthy for the sensitisation programme.
The Olubadan of Ibadaland, Oba Lekan Balogun, represented by Chief Ademola Odunade described the event as a welcome development, urging people to cooperate with NCC towards securing of telecommunication gadgets.
