TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN,

[b]BEFORE ANOTHER HAVOC IS WRECKED, THIS ABSURDITY MUST BE CURBED
I am compelled to write this, not because of any other factor, but sanity. As rather than ‘lead somebody a merry dance” by approaching a court of law in pursuance of justice, like it is being done in countries that are known to possess high moral values and a high resistance to nonsense, I will use my pen to do something constructive…Even as remarkably, we now have a government in Nigeria that aims (at least in words, and in action) to sanitize the country. Also, I shall state quite frankly, that change should not just come downwards in the descending order, but should come even from the roots, upwards, it is then that we can effect change and bring sanity back to our facets of life in Nigeria. And by extension, every sector in the country, including the telecommunications sector which I am about to talk about.
I have heard people talk about the things we condone here in Nigeria, but can never be condoned in any other place in the world. Therefore, at this point in time, WE ARE SAYING ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
After reporting severally to the customer care consultants, at the employ of MTN NIGERIA, I have deemed it fit to report my complaints directly to the appropriate authorities. With the hope that these “appropriate authorities” are now up-to-the-task. Pertinent to this remark, is the code of conduct bureau and the economics and financial crimes commission, among others, it seem to us all that presently, we now have a trust-worthy kind of a system that will not hesitate to act appropriately to petitions.
As I have no intention to die in silence, I write on behalf of millions of other Nigerians, who are encountering the ‘invasion’ of their mobile phones by service providers. And although nobody is going public about it, I have as a matter of urgency deemed it fit to resist such invasion as maybe initiated by service providers, despite the term that seems used in the form of a veil, vis-à-vis “terms and conditions apply”. Whatever stands to be the position of service providers in relation to terms and conditions, the Nigerian communications commission acts supersedes, because the acts was initiated constitutionally (in line with the provisions of the constitution of the FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA). The rules, functions and objectives of the NIGERIAN COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION and its acts therefore, supersedes. It has thus been stated in the functions of the NIGERIAN COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION that they shall stand against UNFAIR TREATMENTS TO SUBSCRIBERS (Emphasis mine). The acts by these service providers can be best described as UNFAIR. That part of the NIGERIAN COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION’s functions reads;
“THE PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF THE INTERESTS OF CONSUMERS AGAINST UNFAIR PRACTICES including but not limited to matters relating to tariffs and charges for and the availability and quality of communications services, equipment and facilities”
For clarity, I shall share the message a friend sent to me recently;
“Recently, I was waiting to receive a very important message from fellow entrepreneur. This message was such an important one, one that will suggest if a contract that we have been anticipating will be approved. My business partner prefer to have the response sent as a message, at my instance. I later blamed myself for telling my partner to inform me via the short messaging service, because prior to the text message that will decide our fate, I already had in my inbox varying degrees of promo messages, I got messages almost every second, and it caught my attention almost every moment it was sent. At the end of it all, it almost become a plague, because as soon as I receive yet another message, my heart would beat rapidly as if it wants to fall, only to discover that MTN was at it again, sending messages that doesn’t in anyway concern me. Finally, before the message I was expecting got into my inbox, my phone got switched off due to the fact the battery of my phone got drained from the unsolicited messages from service providers. I wasn’t able to receive the message appropriately, and because of the fluctuation of electricity in Nigeria, I couldn’t get the message on time.”
While, leaving recipients to reflect, I will again state here the story of a friend who, after obtaining a recharge card for the purpose of surfing the internet had to settle for what he obtained, after a deduction was made owing to these contents of a promo message which came in an unusual manner, without giving him a benefit of doubt, the network providers made the necessary deduction for an unsolicited service, at a click of his mobile phone.
And of course, while preparing the draft for this petition, I got again, yet another coincidental call. I had thought it to be an important call until the uniqueness of the number caught my attention. The number “4100” gave an unsolicited information about MTN products and services. What do we have to say about those with health problems that can get it complicated by all of these promo messages, especially at a rather ill-time?
All that I have explained above is asides the aftermath of the streams and strings of unsolicited promo messages that invades the phone of Nigerians (and various related experiences) every day from network providers. It shall can be concluded therefore, that;
1. Promo messages should not be sent in such a disturbing manner as observed in the actions of Nigerian network providers.
2. It should rather be optional, such that one can unsubscribe or be exempted from such understandably fake offers, as opposed to the imposition method that is adopted by service providers in Nigeria.
3. These (streams of) promo messages should not aim to “make somebody’s life hell” like a spell.
4. Any telecommunication company that violates acts as listed (in 1, 2, 3) has disrespected their subscriber, and thus treated them UNFAIRLY considering especially the response of the telecommunications company to such complaints, whenever their services is being sought as to the deactivation of promo messages and other inadequacies.
5. The term “ABUSE” and ‘UNFAIRNESS” should be the best interpretation to acts by telecommunications companies which falls under category (4) above.
6. Any company that abuses the respect of its subscriber (especially a considerable majority) and treats its subscriber unfairly should be discredited and sanctioned appropriately, according to the rules by the telecommunications regulatory commission (NCC).
It can be thus said that telecommunication companies in Nigeria (especially MTN NIGERIA), does not comply with these factors and must be sanctioned appropriately, before a havoc is wrecked. This petition is therefore intended as a signal to appropriate authority, as a court case shall be instituted if the service providers still decides after this petition to avoid compliance, especially with those contained in this petition. These promo messages are constituting nuisance and should be put at halt immediately. NCC and appropriate authorities should, as a matter of urgency look into all these things before [affected] Nigerians will start fighting for themselves, lawfully. Other issues involving tariffs and illegal deductions should be investigated and comprehensively looked into.
It should also be noted that I have no intention to soil anyone’s reputation, but to call to order the particular service provider that pertains to me (MTN NIGERIA), after series of fruitless efforts at presenting my case and optioning out of this streams and strings of unsolicited promo messages. I cannot tolerate all these excesses any longer!




AS WRITTEN BY:
ORIMOLOYE, Ifeoluwa
c/o: FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE.
TELL: +234(0)9037538112
+234(0)7039482502
E-MAIL: loveorims@yahoo.com

AS SUBMITTED TO NIGERIAN COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION AND THE PUBLIC COMPLAINTS COMMISSION

Cc lalasticlala
ishilove

What are u mentioning lala and ishi for, na dem be MTN or NCC

I 'll read later but I think it serves them right

serious!

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serious!

Need something on Jumia?
Contact me now!!