By Taiye Odewale
Abuja
The Senate yesterday summoned the Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) and all network providers to appear before its Committee on Communications to explain the rationale behind the decision to increase data tariffs.
This was even as it ordered the network providers to halt any plan to commence implementation of the new tariffs today.
Consequently, the Senate mandated its Committee on Communications to commence a comprehensive investigation into the matter which had generated controversies across the country and report back to it within one week.
These were fallouts of a motion moved by Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, during which he condemned the planned hike in data tariffs, saying it would further impoverish the people.
Also speaking, Vice-Chairman of the committee, Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Lagos West), described the policy as not only “unholy,” but “unfriendly.”
He assured the Senate that the committee would act on the mandate and report back to it next Tuesday
He said: “We are up to the task. And I can assure the Senate that we will swing into action immediately. We will invite all the necessary agencies that are involved in this policy that is unholy and unfriendly and get back to the Senate unfailingly on Tuesday.”
In his remark, Senate President Bukola Saraki accused the NCC of failing to carry out enough consultations before announcing the policy.
He also asked the committee to investigate allegations of non-compliance with laid down regulations by telecoms operators.
NCC had, in a letter addressed to telecoms operators on November 1, 2016, put the interim floor price for data services at 0.90k/MB for big operators, adding that “this rate will subsist pending the finalisation of the study on the determination of cost-based pricing for retail broadband and data services in Nigeria.”
