With the prevailing fraud online, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has, on Thursday, taken its sensitization against fraud to Spare Parts Market, Agodi Gate, Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
This is part of the commission’s consumers sensitization programs for telecommunication consumers on how to identify and be free from fraud, scam online.
The commission, through its Consumer Affairs Bureau, has been sensitizing telecom consumers across the country.
While speaking, the Head of the Consumer Affairs Bureau of NCC, Mr Ayobanji Ojo explained the need to sustain the telecommunication industry adding that the commission has received over twenty thousand complaints.
Ojo said the commission has the mandate to protect telecommunication consumers. He added that in doing this, the commission needs to educate consumers.
He said telecom consumers should approach their service providers to resolve their complaints adding that if they’re unable to resolve it, they should approach the commission by dialling 622 which is toll-free.
His words: “Today’s program is different from what we did at the Bodija market and at UI campus conversation.
“We are talking about ‘Shine Your Eyes, No Fall Mugu’ which means there are so many financial frauds going on through the telecommunication and we want to educate our people, particularly the traders because alot of them are vulnerable to what’s going on in the telecom space.
“Even on radio yesterday, so many complaints were received. The market people are our telecom consumers without them, we can not exist as a regulator. The market people deserve to know what is going on.
“There have been so many complaints about loss of money. So we need to educate our consumers all the time because we are now in the sustainability of telecommunications industry and if we do not sustain the telecom consumers there is nothing we can do.
“The complaint we have been seeing so far is over 20 thousand. Even this money the loan shark saying a person on your contact list collected loan, how did they get your number? This is the kind of thing we are trying to protect and to protect people, we have to educate them.
“So when people have information they are protected. We addressed that matter last week in Bodija Market. As a telecom regulator, we advise you go to your service providers to resolve your complaints and if they are unable to then dial 622 and resolve the issue.
Also speaking, the President of Ibadan Motor Parts Dealers Association, Olanrewaju Maruf Ishola thanked the commission for bringing such educative program to the market.
He added that market men and women were glad to receive the commission adding that the program was helpful and educative.
He said: “This program is very important. As you can see, our people came out in their numbers to attend. They have listened and have learnt a lot.
“We love the program. It’s very helpful. We want to thank the NCC for bringing it to our doorstep. We look forward to having more programs of this kind.”
