The directive
handed down to telecom operators by industry regulators, the Nigerian
Communications Commission (NCC) to increase fees charged on internet services
has
continued to elicit angry reactions from stakeholders across the country.
But according to NCC, the hike is intended to protect the small operators whose
position is being threatened by the ‘big four operators’.
Following the
NCC directive, several telecom subscribers took to their social media platforms
including twitter handle and facebook to condemn the action which they said
would further impoverish ordinary Nigerian.
The Trade
Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) for instance yesterday issued a stern warning
against the planned hike in prices of data services by Nigerian
telecommunication.
Comrade Bobboi
Kaigama, the TUC President said the union would vehemently oppose the plan
which aims at further impoverishing hapless Nigerians who were already
overburdened by the country’s harsh economic crisis.
Similarly,
radical Senator, Shehu Sani, in his comment on Twitter noted that “increasing
tariff on data services is simply about extorting more from the people after
paying more for electricity”.
Kazzem Mossa
Tijani reacted thus;“Enough of these extortions. Salary is not increased.
Salary is not regular and everything is just going up. What a country. It seems
NCC is not experiencing recession. God save us from these heartless people.”
Also
commenting on the issue, Tunde Leye @tundeleye condemned the planned increase.
“NCC is about to do to data what CBN has been doing to dollars, that we’ve
always done to fuel and a big reason power is bad. Price fixing,” he stated.
For Konnie
@Konnie772: “it’s horrible honestly, they really are greedy, selfish, wicked,
nonchalant etc. They just don’t care at all” Others who reacted included
Etin-Osa @etinmagbe who tweeted: “How did the FG & NCC decide on the time
for Telcos to increase data tarrif? How does that even make sense? Despite
the present hardship?” In a follow-up
tweet, she added “Do these people even care at all for the common man on the
streets that’s struggling to survive?”
“NCC forces an
increase in data charges. Tax calls above 3 mins. Drone permit for a year,
$4000. Our leaders are scared of information,” tweeted Ben Bassey @benbassey:“
Mr Aye
Dee@MrAyeDee questioned the rationale for the NCC decision: “Is the data tariff
hike mandated by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) going to help
grow Nigeria’s economy?”
J.F.M: “I do
not have issues with the data price increase in its own self. The mind boggling
question here is – What does the NCC seek to achieve?”
Aliyu Sulyman
@mindadi1: “They don’t want us to have access to data, They know the power
youths have on the internet.”
Several of
them turned to the Senate President Bukola Saraki who had pledged to intervene
on the issue, urging him through tweets sent to him to prevail a rethink on the
part of NCC.
Udeagbala
Chinazaw rote: “This needs to be discouraged,” while Friday Ojembe @Ojembe13
said: It’s actually disheartening to
hear about this hike in data tariff at this critical time in our history.”
Other tweets
to Saraki read: “Good one Mr. SP. You
are the last hope of the average Nigerian. Pls save us from this government
policy.”
Monday Emeoka:
“The earlier the better, Mr Senate President.
Please.”
Ajayi Odun:
“Other countries compared to Nigeria. The planned increase shows they lack focus.”
Meanwhile
the Senate yesterday promised to look
into the hike in data charges by the mobile operators. In response to a tweet by Henry Ezeanya earlier urging the
senate to look into the proposed hike in data by NCC, Senate President Bukola
Saraki, assured that the upper legislative chamber would tackle the NCC on the proposed
increase.
The Senate
President in replying, said that the Senate “will do”
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