The House of Representatives has directed the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) to initiate a policy of Pay-As-You-Go to all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in order to minimise high level of exploitations by the service providers services not rendered.
The House also urged the NCC and relevant agencies to develop a consumer protection framework that includes provisions for automatic compensation or refunds for prolonged service outages or significant deviations from advertised service levels.
These resolutions were sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon Leke Abejide at plenary on Thursday who noted that numerous ISPs have managed to evade accountability for their widespread inefficiency, feeble and inferior service delivery.
This is as economic experts and stakeholders in the telecom industry have warned that the sector’s decline could have far-reaching consequences for the country’s economic growth and development, if the government does not intervene.
At the plenary, Hon. Abejide lamented that consumers are compelled to persistently pay for inadequate services due to the apparent absence of regulations governing their pricing and service provision, thereby enabling them to exploit Nigerians.
The lawmaker further noted frequent service outages slow speeds, and inconsistent connectivity are widespread issues faced daily by consumers, as in this digital age, efficient Internet connection is a necessity, not a luxury.
