Report complaints to NCC if operators fail you, Juwah challenges Nigerian subscribers

Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, NCC, Dr. Okechukwu Itanyi, EVC of NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, and Director, Consumer Affairs of NCC, Mrs. Mary Uduma at the Lagos parliament

By Prince Osuagwu

Rounding off  comments at the end of the 61st Telecom Consumer Parliament organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC in Lagos at the weekend, the Executive Vice Chairman of the  Commission, Dr. Eugene Juwah, charged the Nigerian telecom subscribers to report complaints directly to the Commission whenever any operator refuses to satisfy their desires for effective service delivery.
 Juwah said this was the reason why the Commission now operates a second level customer care center which allows customers to call directly to the commission at no cost.
According to him, “because the customer is king, we at NCC will always ensure that you get value for whatever services you are paying for” he said in apparent response to complaints about poor level of customer care across all the networks.
He bemoaned the operators, charging them that  in a matter of days, March 15th precisely, the Consumer Rights Day would be celebrated but added that “while celebrating the consumers we should be mindful of their interests that we are all supposed to protect. Consumer interests cover the rights, privileges and obligations which should be given priority attention by the stakeholders”.
For Juwah, consumer rights which the Commission has passion to protect  included right to safety, right to choose, right to redress, right to be heard, right to consumer education, right to be informed, right to a healthy environment, and right to satisfaction of basic needs.
“The protection of consumer rights as listed above is not only the responsibility of the Commission but all the stakeholders including the consumers themselves.
“ While the Commission will continue to provide a conducive environment to all the stakeholders to enjoy their rights and benefits, it is necessary that we play our parts to ensure success in this endeavour”.
He urged the operators to take customer complaints seriously as the Commission will not hesitate to be on the side of the subscribers when they are right.
On the nationwide SIM card registration, to be embarked upon by the Commission, Dr. Juwah indicated that the hold on the implementation was deliberate to allow for the conclusion of the INEC registration, and that when the Commission begins SIM registration, enough awareness will be created using all available media of mass communications to achieve widespread awareness.
A panel discussion about the impending SIM card registration in Nigeria by the Commission, moderated by Dr. Idika Ochaa, an ICT expert, concluded that the registration is very vital to national and individual securities and urged subscribers to promptly present themselves for registration, without let or hindrance.