The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has raised the alarm over the increased outright theft of telecommunication equipment across the country.
Executive Vice Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, stated this on Thursday in Gombe.
Prof. Danbatta while delivering a welcome address at a one-day sensitisation workshop organised by NCC for law enforcement agencies in the North East, lamented the rising cases of vandalism of telecom installations, facilities and infrastructure.
Represented at the event by Head, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Department, Efosa Idehen, Danbatta noted that the rise in tempo of outright theft of telecoms equipment across the country far surpassed that of cybercrime which has been a source of concern to NCC.
“We have also seen proliferation in the sale and usage of pre-registered Subscribers Identification Module (SIM) cards,” Danbatta said.
He disclosed that NCC has rolled out various campaign strategies to educate the general public on implications and consequences of undermining the integrity of telecoms operation.
The NCC executive vice chairman disclosed further that the commission has instituted series of social capital programmes to galvanise the country’s socio-economic transformation.
These he said include the commissioning of over 700 projects in various institutions of learning across the six geopolitical zones under its school support programmes.
He said even though the sector is now contributing nearly ten percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), NCC foresees greater development in that sector
Towards that end, Danbatta disclosed that NCC, fully committed to the implementation of the National Broadband Plan deploying more broadband fibre networks beyond major cities, has issued licenses to two infrastructure companies while the remaining five companies will be licensed shortly.
“This is expected to further boost business as well as improve life and catalyze economic growth at the remotest areas,” he said.
He further added that from less than half a million lines on the eve of the current democratic dispensation, Nigeria now has about 150 million active connected telephone lines.
He expressed hope that given the calibre of persons attending the workshop, “we will generate great ideas that will address the challenges and enhance a more robust climate for telecoms regulation in Nigeria.”
Delivering the keynote address at the event, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, described the workshop as timely.
He lauded the NCC for providing a forum for law enforcement agencies to deepen their understanding of issues with a view to providing solutions to challenges in the telecoms industry.
While decrying the increasing use of pre-registered SIM cards to commit criminal activities, the IGP sought further collaboration with the NCC to arrest the menace.
The workshop was organised for law enforcement agencies operating in the North East and has in attendance Commissioners of Police from Gombe and Yobe states as well as senior officers representing the various security agencies in the country.
TODAY News
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