The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has warned Nigerians against the use of substandard phones, saying they were a cause of some of the ailments being suffered by Nigerians.
The NCC which stated this in Ado Ekiti, on Thursday at a sensitisation and enlightenment programme for phone sellers at the Fayose Market in the state capital, also warned that the agency would soon start to clamp down on sellers of unapproved phones.
An official of the agency, who addressed the traders, Kunle Olorundare, an Engineer, also identified unapproved phones as a major cause of network interruptions, which he said were also having negative implications on health of users.
Olorundare at the at the workshop organised by the Ibadan Zonal Office of the NCC, lamented that fake phones had “taken over the markets” and said “the preponderance of substandard phones was causing colossal damage to network services and health of users.”
Olorundare warned that sellers of unapproved ICT products were running foul of the NCC Act and could face prosecution or seizure of their wares if they did not desist from selling such.
He advised the phone sellers to ensure the phones they buy from manufacturers and dealers were approved by the NCC, which he said had a list of all ICT products approved for sale and use in Nigeria.
In his remarks, Mr Ekisola Oladosu who represented the Head, Zonal Operations of NCC frowned on the proliferation of substandard phones and other ICT products in the country, and promised that NCC would “do all within its powers to check the situation.”
Other officials of the NCC, Tajudeen Saka and Amadi Chimezie noted that the task of sanitising the Nigerian phone market was incumbent on all stakeholders, calling on Nigerians to support the campaign.
In his remarks, The zonal controller, NCC Ibadan zonal office Mr Olubunmi Bamijoko said the sales of non type approved phones which are smuggled or imported into the country negatively affects operator’s network and service delivery.
He stressed that NCC was poised to ensure the eradication of unapproved phones through adequate enlightenment coupled with enforcement actions on sellers.
In his response on behalf of participants, the President, Fayose Market Traders Association, Mr Kehinde Badmus thanked the NCC for the enlightenment seminar while assuring that the Association members would cooperate with the commission to achieve its positive goals.
He however solicited the assistance of NCC in facilitating proximate approved phone dealer centres within or around Ekiti state for easier access to approved products adding that the commission should prevail on mobile service providers to establish communication masts at locations where such were not available.
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