Telecommunications companies in Nigeria have firmly denied accusations that they intend to disrupt the upcoming #Endbadgovernance protest scheduled to take place from August 1-10, 2024. These companies emphasized their commitment to providing uninterrupted service, as stipulated by their social and economic contracts with the public.
The denial came in response to allegations made by a prominent lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa. He claimed that some telcos were deliberately causing network restrictions as the protest date approached.
In a statement, Adegboruwa noted a surge in complaints from citizens about network issues, suggesting a coordinated effort to undermine the protest.
“For the past few days, some telecom companies have been disconnecting their subscribers for flimsy and untenable reasons,” Adegboruwa stated. “Some allege lack of NIN registration or linking, while others didn’t give any reason at all. This action is coming on the heels of the proposed struggle of the people against hunger, poverty, suffering, and the suffocating economic policies of the Tinubu administration. From all indications, it would seem that the underlying target of the telecom companies is to limit the reach of their customers in order to restrict access and thus frustrate the protests.”
He further insisted that the contracts between telcos and their subscribers should remain untouchable and that any breaches should be addressed with ample notice and opportunity for resolution. He stressed the critical nature of mobile services for businesses and medical emergencies, urging the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to intervene on behalf of subscribers.
In response, Engr Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators in Nigeria (ALTON), dismissed the allegations as baseless. “This is the funniest allegation anybody can make. We are in a social and economic contract with the people to provide services which is critical to their lives, at all times. That contract will not allow us to do such a thing. Besides, what is the motive for which we can even assume such a heinous act? Both those for and against the protest are our subscribers, so if we try to frustrate it, whose interest will we be serving. We are apolitical by nature and will remain so. We have no business to interfere with the political beliefs of our subscribers. So, in all intent and purposes, we have no intention to interfere in whatever way with the protest.”
