The Association of Telephone Cable TV and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS) has denied reports of tariff increment by telecommunications companies, which was published by some online media and a daily newspaper, saying that the report is untrue and called on members of the public to disregard the news.
This was corroborated by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which has also denied approving any tariff increase for the telecoms operators.
The National President of ATCIS, Prince Sina Bilesanmi, condemned the rumour, insisting that there was nothing like that for now. Bilesanmi spoke during an urgent press conference with some journalists, yesterday, in Lagos, while responding to the report.
The Director of Public Affairs of the Nigerian Communication Commission, Dr Reuben Muoka, while reacting to the report, noted that the said increase did not emanate from the Commission and that it should be disregarded.
The ATCIS president further said that Muoka denied speaking with any reporter on the tariff Increment. “For now, there’s no new tariff increment, and if such will happen, the stakeholders and telecom subscriber advocacy body, ATCIS, would be carried along,” Mouka said.
The report had it that subscribers would be charged 40 per cent increase in tariff, while calls would be N15.40 as against previous N11, N5.60 would be charged for SMS, while 1GB data would attract N1,400 instead of the current N1,000. According to Bilesanmi, the reports have created anxieties among millions of telecom subscribers in Nigeria.
“The Commission would have made an official statement regarding tariff increase. Therefore, people should disregard whoever said he is the spokesperson of NCC. I am the only spokesperson of the NCC and I did not speak with the said reporter.
“I don’t know where he got his information. He only wrote what he wanted to write, the report of the increase did not emanate from us. “Telecom subscriber members of the public should watch out for some unscrupulous reporters that are being used to destabilise the telecommunication industry.
There’s no new tariff, and if such will happen every stakeholder would be carried along,” Mouka was quoted by Bilesanmi while speaking with journalists. He added: “ATCIS is the only leading Telecom Subscriber advocacy body in Nigeria with membership across 36 states in the six geo political zones.
“It has a mission to promote mutual co-existence, fair play, defend the rights of telecom subscribers, by endorsing and ensuring good products and network service delivery from network operators and service providers to our corporate and individual members, while providing a platform to advance the rights of telephone, cable TV and Internet subscribers. “It remains dedicated to protecting the rights of subscribers across Nigeria.”
