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CPC inaugurates document on telecoms consumer rights protection

By BusinessNews Staff on March 12, 2014

In a bid to improve consumer education and protect the rights of subscribers from certain exploitative activities of telecommunications operators across the country, the Consumer Protection Council has inaugurated the Compendium of the Rights of Telecommunications Subscribers in Nigeria.

The Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, who inaugurated the compendium in Abuja on Monday at the Consumer Roundtable on Phone Rights put together by the CPC, warned the operators to play by the rules, saying, “The CPC is an agency that can bark and bite.”

She said there was a need for the Nigerian Communications Commission to strengthen its collaboration with the CPC to address subscribers’ complaints bordering on poor telecoms service delivery.

Speaking during the event, the Director-General, CPC, Mrs. Dupe Atoki, said, “Like most interventions and innovations that have such an immense bearing on the general populace, abuses are prevalent. Such abuses remain unabated if the consumers of these products or services know little or nothing about their rights in this regard.

“On the other hand, the conglomerates that provide these products or services benefit from the apathy of the uninformed consumers.

“The Nigerian consumers of telecoms services have been unable to assert their rights due largely to ignorance of these rights and where to complain. Therefore, in celebrating the World Consumer Rights Day, with the theme: ‘Fix our phone rights’, the CPC believes that the way forward is to codify the rights of telecommunications subscribers so that they can access, read and understand these rights.”

Atoki added, “These rights come under segments such as poor network, unsolicited services, unlawful deductions/non-transparent billing, exploitative automated services, unauthorised SIM swaps/line disconnection, poor Internet services and poor customer service.

“The Compendium of the Rights of Telecoms Subscribers in Nigeria was developed by the CPC and is being inaugurated as part of the commemoration of the World Consumer Rights Day. The consumer can take the compendium, which is very simple and concise, to the relevant operators and say this is my right. The initiative is one step for us in our advocacy platform for public enlightenment in Nigeria.”

The CPC DG stressed that the agency would partner regulatory agencies and telecommunications operators “to ensure that consumers get value for their money.”

In his welcome address, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom, commended the CPC for its renewed efforts towards protecting consumers’ rights.

“I want to commend the efforts of the new leadership of the CPC, led by Mrs. Dupe Atoki, for its renewed tenacity at ensuring that the rights of Nigerian consumers are respected in all ramifications,” Ortom said.

[Punch]

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