The Nigerian Commission Commission (NCC) is proactive in solving consumer related issues in order to protect their rights and save them from being exploited, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC, Professor Umar Garba Dnabatta has said.
Prof Danbatta, who disclosed this recently at the 30th Edition of Consumer Town Hall Meeting (CTM) in Numan, Adamawa State, also added that NCC’s efforts are ways mainly to protect the consumers from making wrong choices, and from being exploited against and against fraud.
He said consumer education had been identified by the commission as one of the most cost effective mechanism that provides and guarantees consumer protection.
He also said: “To ensure that the telecoms consumer is well protected, informed and educated (PIE mandate) the commission has developed series of initiatives with the main goal of empowering consumers with appropriate information that will ensure that their rights are not only protected but their choices provide them with value for money.
“These initiatives include:
*Organising Outreach programmes (TCP, COP & CTM) across the country.
*Dissemination of Consumer education via factsheets.
*Information dissemination via Consumer web portal.
*Interaction via Social Media like Twitter, Facebook etc.
* Responding to enquiries via NCC Call Centre on a toll free number—622.
* Participating on Radio programmes that educate consumers on their rights and privileges.”
He said the constitution of the country expressly provides for a number of rights, which are recognized as inalienable to every citizen of the country.
The NCC EVC said further: “In the same direction, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the regulator with the mandate of regulating the telecommunication industry and the protection of the telecom consumers; also recognize that the rights of every telecoms consumer must be protected; one of the fundamental rights of the telecom consumer is the right to be informed and educated.
“These rights include but not limited to: the right to receive correct information on services they subscribe to; the right to be provided with clear, complete, and accurate information with a language that will be understood. This would guide them make informed decision on products and services offered to them.”
The EVC said it was therefore the responsibility of the service providers to: communicate information to consumers in a plain and simple language, ensure that information provided to consumers is relevant, current, accurate and timely, ensure that consumers can reliably and easily have access to information that can assist them make an informed choices, give consumers the choice of receiving information in a language they can understand.
“At the Nigerian Communications Commission, the telecom consumers are the target beneficiary of all our activities which make them enjoy primary focus in terms of ensuring that they get good quality of service, value for money spent, timely and fair redress of complaints and protection from unwholesome practices of some service providers…
“Consumer education is identified by the Commission as one of the most cost effective mechanism that provides and guarantees consumer protection. Besides serving as a proactive way of protecting consumers from making wrong choices, it also serves as a preventive measure that protects consumers from being exploited and against fraud”, he said.
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