THE Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Mrs Felicia Onwuegbuchla, has disclosed that there was a synergy between the commission and Security agencies in the country to put an end to masking of calls by service providers.
Speaking during the 43rd Edition of Consumer Town Hall Meeting in Owo, headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, Onwuegbuchlam, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, Alhaji Ismail Adedigba, said the Commission has been making efforts to put in place modern technology to unravel those behind the masked calls.
According to him, the collaboration became necessary because the continued masking of calls by some people pose serious security threat to the nation, saying the commission will deploy appropriate technology as a strategy to combat the menace.
He said the new technology would ensure the arrest of culprits behind masked calls saying apart from solution to masked calls, the new technology would aid arrest of criminals who are bent on carrying out criminal activities with their phones.
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He said the NCC will soon deploy technological solutions to finding out and arresting culprits that are bent on carryin out such nefarious activities, where mask calls come in as International calls with local numbers, saying, “this poses security threat and also deprives revenue for the government.’’
He said the town hall meeting was organised to educate Telecom consumers and other stakeholders on contemporary issues generating interest in the industry and also to serve as a feedback mechanism for the commission in making regulatory intervention for the benefit of the consumers and the service providers.
He said the telecom consumers are the target beneficiaries 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 practice of some service providers.
The NCC boss the theme for the town hall meeting “using information and Education as Tools for Consumers Empowerment and Protection” was chosen to reflect one of the cardinal objective of the NCC of ensuring consumer empowerment through provision of necessary information and education to consumers.
She said through empowerment and education telecom operators are equipped with necessary tools to be protected from market explanation, and to make rational and informed decision when making choices of serves.
She said: “To ensure they the telecom consumer is well protected, informed and educated, the commission has developed series of initiative with the main goal of empowering consumers with appropriate information and education that will ensure that their rights, privileges and interest are adequately protected, since, Austin is generally said, information is power.
“One of the fundamental rights of the telecom consumer is the right to be informed and educated. It is only through information and education that the consumers can be empowered to take the right decisions, especially when their rights, as consumers are trampled upon.”
She charged consumers to take advantage of sending “STOP” or HELP to the 2442 code to stop all unsolicited text messages, or seek help from the network provider, urging them to always contract NCC if not satisfied.
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