The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, recently paid a courtesy visit to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase. During the visit, Prof. Danbatta lamented the current wave of illegal sealing up of telecoms Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) across the country by various individuals, organizations, communities, and others at times using law enforcement officers.
According to Danbatta, not only were such individuals or institutions flouting the law, their actions also posed great social and economic implications as it results in the cutting off subscribers from their mobile networks or even interrupting other economic activities that depend on the proper functioning of telecom infrastructure.
Other issues for which the EVC of the NCC also requested that the IGP help with included Illegal Sealing of Base Stations, Stealing of Telecom Equipment, and Prosecution of Cases on Contraventions of NCC Regulations.
The IGP after praising the role of modern telecoms in tackling national security challenges also promised that the Force will do its best in addressing the issues brought up by the NCC boss.
Having heard all this, I guess we should be looking forward to seeing telecom infrastructure vandals seriously persecuted. However, it’s one thing for leaders to say one thing and another for their subordinates to act accordingly.