The Nigerian telecom regulatory agency reiterated this message of thematization of information exchange as the central plank of consumer relations, yesterday, at the 2019 second edition of the Consumer Conversation Forum (CCF) held at Kenneth Dike Memorial Grammar School, Awka, Anambra State.
Emilia Nwokoro, Controller Enugu Zonal Office of the Commission, which has supervision over all states in the South East zone, stated this while speaking on behalf of Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive (EVC/CE) of NCC.
Nwokoro made her presentation to the staff and students of the school named after the first Nigerian and African Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, the late Prof. Kenneth Onwuka Dike. Staff and students of the school who came out in large numbers to participate in the Conversation were taught how to use the NCC-instituted complaint management Toll Free Line (622) to escalate unresolved issues they had earlier reported to their service providers. Nwokoro also told her audience that if they receive unsolicited messages on their devices from their network operators, they should send "STOP" to 2442 - a code specially created by NCC to manage the receipt of unsolicited messages by telecom consumers.
Nwokoro also allayed the fears of the school community concerning the false information circulated about the hazards of telecom masts and associated infrastructure, as she stated that as a responsible organisation, NCC will not approve the deployment of facilities that are substandard and hazardous. The staff and students, who were evidently pleased by the organisation of the Forum also thanked Nwokoro and her team for the visit and information provided.
Consumer Conversation is the fourth level of consumer engagement programme put in place by NCC to interact with telecom consumers. Unlike the other three - Telecom Consumer Parliament, Consumer Outreach Programme and Consumer Town Hall Meeting - which are organised by the Consumer Affairs Bureau of the Commission, the Conversation is in the purview of the Zonal Operations Department of the Commission.
Educational institutions, aside from being peopled by telecom subscribers who deserve to be informed and educated about emerging issues in telecommunication, are also taken as critical stakeholders of the Commission. This explains the vision of Schools Support Programme of the Commission which targets all levels of education for the provision of ICT infrastructure, facilities and equipment to ensure availability, accessibility and affordability of ICT resources in order to enable more Nigerians to participate in the digital economy.