FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PLANS TO PENALIZE TELECOM OPERATORS,ISSUES DEADLINE.

The Federal Government is to prosecute telecommunications operators, found to be cheating subscribers through poor service delivery. The Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson said the ministry had commenced collaboration with the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) to sanction operators rendering poor services or collecting charges from subscribers for services not rendered. Also speaking, the NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Eugene Juwah, said the commission had issued a Dec. 31, 2013 deadline to stop telecom operators from selling SIM packs or expanding their networks if they failed to improve services. On her part, the Director-General of the CPC, Mrs. Dupe Atoki, said the council had constituted a consumer education taskforce to enlighten consumers on their rights and privileges. Atoki also pleaded for more funds from the Federal Government to enable the CPC achieve the goals for which it was established.