NCC, Judiciary Strengthen Collaboration To Tackle Telecoms Challenges
BY GLORIA USMAN, ABUJA – The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has expressed its commitment to further strengthen collaboration with judicial institutions in a bid to protect Telecoms infrastructure in the country.
The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Commission, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, who stated this when he received in audience a delegation of the Kano State Judiciary at the NCC Zonal Office, in Kano, said the Commission is doing everything within its regulatory mandate to enforce compliance among licensees as well as collaborating with stakeholders to protect telecom infrastructure.
Danbatta noted that some individuals indulge in willful damage of telecom infrastructure, vandalism, telecoms facility theft and fibre cuts, among other crimes.
He said the criminal acts conspire to degrade the quality of service (QoS) in the country, adding that since the NCC has no prosecutorial power, the need to strengthen collaboration with the judicial arm of the government at all levels has become expedient.
According to him; “NCC does not have prosecutorial power in criminal acts committed by the citizens and licensees which are inimical to the progress of the sector and we appreciate the ways and manners such criminal cases are being dispensed by the judiciary.
“This is a testimony to the kind cooperation NCC has been enjoying from the judiciary,” he said.
Danbatta also said that the Commission will never fold its arms while unscrupulous citizens cause havoc on telecommunications infrastructure since that affects the quality of service innocent citizens enjoy.
The NCC boss said; “Therein lies the importance of the judiciary in the work that we have been assigned by the government to do. We very much appreciate this cooperation with the judiciary and we are committed to ensure that the cooperation grows stronger and stronger going forward”.
Danbatta said that the recently-concluded NCC-Judges Workshop in Abuja, was a very important initiative of the Commission to continuously collaborate with members of the judicial arm of government through updating them with the trends and regulatory dynamism of the sector with a view to improving their knowledge for effective dispensation of justice.
Earlier, the Chief Registrar of Kano State High Court of Justice, Abdullahi Ado Bayero, who led the delegation commended the efforts of Prof. Danbatta and the NCC in fast-tracking digital transformation of governance and other sectors of the economy.
Bayero said the judiciary as a whole, has recognised the necessity and inevitability of digital justice system as well as full integration of ICT-based court system in the administration of justice.
