As part of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Corporate Social Responsibility, the Commission has donated 100 new mattresses to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Speaking at the presentation ceremony last weekend at the NYSC Camp in Kubwa, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Commission, Professor Umar Danbatta, who was represented by the Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, said the Commission regrets that valuable items were carted away by hoodlums during the #End SARS protests.

“Commission is here to present you with a hundred pieces of Mattresses for the use of the Corp members. This act is one out of the Commission’s numerous Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

“The youth as we know, plays a great role in national building. They contribute to national development and are responsible for bringing social reforms. As the saying goes, the youth of a country is the future of a country.

“The Commission as the foremost regulator in Nigeria’s telecom industry has been supporting the youth through various projects and activities aimed at making them self-reliant and enhancing their contribution to the economy. One of such programmes is the young innovators” Danbatta said.

According to him, the Commission utilizes every opportunity to educate and enlighten our teeming telecom consumers, on the programmes and activities of the Commission.

Danbatta, said it is a well-known fact that telecommunication services are critical to the overall socio-economic well-being of every economy as it provides a technological foundation for societal communications and plays a critical role in the fundamental operations of a society-from business to government to families.

He added that it has become the center of our everyday life, stressing further that telecommunication has opened up opportunities for business to thrive.

“Businesses have particularly taken advantage of sophisticated telecom systems such as video conferencing, video calling and on-line marketing to improve productivity, better customer services and increased growth which invariably have boosted the economy.

“This became more apparent during the critical period of COVID -19 pandemic where telecom services enabled online learning for students, video conferencing, mobile communications and meetings for businesses, conferences, seminars and much more, thereby making social distancing more tolerable.

“The Commission has embarked on different initiatives to reach out to our valued consumers. It    is important to note that technological advancements have contributed immensely in making our lives easier in many ways.

“Nevertheless, new types of risks have equally emerged such as issues affecting telecoms consumers, to which the Commission has proffered concrete solution to, is Cybercrime and e-fraud. This is any criminal activity in which computers or networks are used as tools, targets or place.

“The Commission advice all consumers not to open emails not familiar to them, never to post personal identification information online or save password online. Note also that your Bank will never ask you your personal detail via the internet. In the event of any unfortunate circumstance leading to infiltration of your personal platforms, please contact your bankers immediately to freeze your account and also inform your mobile service provider for further actions.

“Telemarketing, commonly known as unsolicited text messages, voice calls is another issue affecting consumers. This is any message, voice or SMS made through a telecommunications network, which is transmitted for the purpose of informing or soliciting or promoting any commercial transaction in relation to goods, investments or services that a subscriber did not opt to receive.” He said.

According to him, NCC has evolved a solution called Do-Not-Disturb (DND), directing all Mobile Network Operators to dedicate a Short Code 2442 to enable subscribers take informed but independent decisions on what messages they wish to receive from their networks by Sending STOP to 2442 to stop the messages completely or Sending HELP to 2442 to choose your preferred message.

The Commission, he said has also created a Toll-Free Number 622, as a second-level complaint redress mechanism, which allows consumers to escalate unresolved issues by their service providers to the Commission for effective resolutions.

The toll-free number can be reached daily between 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. except on Sundays and national public holidays.

As a telecom consumer, you deserve the right to get value for your investment. NCC as your regulator has devised ways to enable you lodge your complaints when you are dissatisfied with the services provided by your operator, adding that appropriate regulatory measures and sanctions against erring service providers have also been put in place by the Commission.

In the Commission’s efforts to bridge the communication gap between the distressed and emergency response agencies in the country, the NCC has undertaken the task of facilitating the building and equipping of Emergency Communications Centres in all 36 states of the federation and the FCT, Abuja.

He said all telecom operators are mandated to route emergency calls through the dedicated three-digit Toll Free Number, 112, from each state to the emergency centre within that state.

The call center agents, who are resident in the ECC will then process the distress call and contact the relevant Emergency Response Agency (e.g. Fire Service, Police, FRSC, Ambulance, etc.) whose primary duty is to handle the case. Thirty-six centres and the FCT have been built and provided with equipment across the nation in all six geopolitical zones. So far Nineteen (19) of the ECCs are fully operational.

“On this note, I charge you as you go on to your various places of primary assignments, to be ambassadors of NCC, sharing the information you have received for the benefit of other telecom consumers” he concluded .

Responding, the NYSC Commandant , represented by Camp Commandant, Suleiman Abdul, recalled that  October 27th 2020 can best be described as a sad day for the scheme as the #EndSARS protesters under the guise of searching for palliatives destroyed and looted valuable camp facilities including furniture, cooking utensils, mattresses, electronics and computers worth millions of naira.

“The miscreants left us devastated but undaunted as we picked up the pieces and commenced the process of replacing some of the stolen items. Efforts were made to reach out to corporate organisations for support. Some made promises but the NCC lived up to expectations and delivered.

“I am happy to receive one hundred 100 mattresses donated by the NCC to alleviate the gaps created by the miscreants.

The generosity of the NCC is coming at a time it is needed most especially with the orientation camp in session” the commandant said.