The joint Committee of the National Assembly on Communication, has commenced investigation into petition filed against MTN Group Limited and Airtel Nigeria by residents of Garki over health threatening telecommunication mast installation.
Residents of Oke – Agbe street in Garki district, Abuja, had in a three-page petition dated February 6, 2020, petitioned both the Senate and the House of Representatives on alleged health threatening mast installed by MTN and Airtel telecommunication outfits in the residential area.
The petition which was forwarded to committees on Communication and Ethics and Privileges of both chambers for investigation, was considered Tuesday in the presence of the Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Danbatta.
Also at the Tuesday session, were representatives of MTN and Airtel as well as the petitioners represented by the six community leaders who signed the petition who are Alhaji Bashir Abdullahi, Mallam Nasir Abdullahi, Ahmed Abdulmumini Yelwa, Adam Muhammad Sani, Aliyu Ibrahim Ahmed and Barrister Abdullaeef Muhd.
The petitioners in the petition alleged that the two telecommunication companies reneged on earlier understanding had with them not to erect mast in the area being strictly a residential one.
They informed the committees that upon a letter of complaint written to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) last year, stop work notice was pasted on the spot and obeyed by them.
The telecommunication companies according to the petitioners however, started work on the mast installation few months after which prompted the petition forwarded to the National Assembly.
The petition reads in part: “As concerned residents of Oke – Agbe street, Garki Abuja, we became disturbed knowing fully the over – time effect of the Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) emitted by the mast to our wellbeing and that of our family.
“This is in addition to the risks associated with sitting telecommunication mast in purely residential areas such as mast collapse, fumes , vibration , noise and visual intrusiveness to mention but a few.
“Due to these risks associated with the telecommunication mask in a residential area such as ours, the occupant of No 22 Oke – Agbe street , Garki, Abuja wrote a complaint to NESREA, consequently upon which the agency put ‘Stop Work Notice ‘ in the premises and the mounting of the mast was halted.
“However, we are surprised that MTN Nigeria Limited /Airtel Nigeria, continued with installation of the mast months after prompting us to approach the National Assembly with this Petition.”
But sinnce only the petitioners were able to make their presentations at the Tuesday session, the committee adjourned sitting to a later date for the remaining parties to make their presentations upon which required directive will be given to the telecommunication firms through their regulatory agency, the NCC.
