In an apparent resolve to address the difficulties being experienced by subscribers, the Senate directed its committee on communications to Probe alleged deductions from subscribers’ airtime by telecommunications operators despite persistent poor network services.
The upper chamber mandated the committee to invite the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and telecommunications operators to investigate complaints of failed calls, dropped connections and interrupted conversations, and assess the financial losses suffered by subscribers.
The resolution followed the consideration of a motion sponsored by Senator Muhammed Monguno, representing Borno north, and seconded by Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta north, during plenary on Wednesday.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, directed the committee to engage Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, and the NCC leadership on the matter.
He asked the committee to submit its report within four weeks.
Akpabio warned that the Senate could summon the Minister, the NCC executive vice-chairman, and telecommunications operators if the committee’s engagement with the regulator failed to produce satisfactory answers.
Said he: “Four weeks is too long, but we can allow it. If they didn’t satisfy us, then we will have to take it at a committee of a whole and invite all the operators, including the Minister overseeing the NCC and also the Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, to ask this pertinent question because the public is complaining and our job is to make sure that we tackle the concerns of the Nigerian public”.
The Senate president attributed some of the persistent network failures and avoidable financial losses suffered by subscribers to inadequate supervision of telecommunications operators by regulatory authorities.
Added Akpabio: “And also the losses they suffer that are avoidable. Some of these things are because nobody is really supervising them well, and also, we need to talk to NCC, and after that, we will take it with the Minister and then discuss with operators. If we don’t have any change, we’ll know what to do thereafter”.
Presenting the motion on behalf of Monguno, Lola Ashiru, Senator representing Kwara south, said telecommunications services had become indispensable to individuals, businesses, and public institutions, with millions of Nigerians relying on mobile networks daily.
He said subscribers frequently experience failed call connections, abrupt disconnections, inaudible conversations, and network interruptions, resulting in airtime deductions without effective communication.
Stated the motion: “The Senate also observes that subscribers are often compelled to make repeated calls to achieve successful connections, thereby incurring additional costs arising from network deficiencies beyond their control”.
Monguno expressed concern that persistent complaints about the depletion of purchased airtime arising from unsuccessful, interrupted, dropped, and poor-quality calls have continued across the networks of telcos.
He said Nigerians should not be made to pay for telecoms services that have not been effectively delivered, maintaining that “payment for airtime is payment for a service and not merely an attempt to establish communication”.
The lawmaker said the deductions might appear insignificant individually, but could amount to substantial financial losses when aggregated across millions of subscribers.
He said the losses particularly affect low-income earners, traders, students, and small business operators.
The Senate also reminded the NCC of its responsibility to protect consumers under the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, through the enforcement of acceptable standards of service delivery.
Acknowledging that occasional service failures could occur, the lawmakers said the pattern of disruptions and poor service delivery in Nigeria was exceptional and raised questions about the effectiveness of the regulator’s oversight.
The Senate said the matter transcended poor telecommunications services to raising concerns about consumer rights, financial accountability and the protection of Nigerians from paying for services they have not effectively received.
Seconding the motion, Nwoko described it as timely, saying telecommunications challenges affect “virtually every Nigerian” and require urgent attention from regulatory authorities.
He said Nigerians should not continue paying for communication services that were not effectively delivered, adding that the concerns raised deserved appropriate regulatory intervention.
The Senate subsequently adopted the motion and mandated its committee on communications to investigate the complaints and report back with recommendations for legislative action.
