Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said it has tightened the noose against cases of data depletion and wrong deductions of consumers’ credit. NCC said it hopes to do this through its ongoing forensic audit to ensure maximum protection for consumers.
Executive vice chairman of the NCC Prof Umar Danbatta stated this when he received Man of the Year 2020 Award from MoneyReport Magazine recently in Abuja. He said while consumer protection remains a key focus area of the commission’s regulatory activities, it has accomplished significant improvements in this direction through various initiatives aimed at putting mobile operators on their toes to be more consumer-centric.
“Through the ongoing forensic audit, we plan to get to the bottom of why consumers are experiencing data depletion and the possibility of compensating them for wrong deductions, which may arise from short message service (SMS),” he said.
“We have instituted and we have insisted that despite the fall in data price, forensic audit must go on and must be concluded and the outcome communicated to the CEOs of telecom companies.”
While appealing to Nigerians to wait for the outcome of the ongoing forensic audit, Danbatta said, operators will be made to comply with whatever directions are given after the investigation with a view to ensuring maximum protection for telecom consumers.
He, however, noted that the commission has developed Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on data depletion, which are designed to inform consumers on activities that may result in faster depletion of their data as well as enlighten them on measures to mitigate such. The FAQs are accessible from the commission’s website.