- Automated Consumer Complaints Management System Coming!
By Angeline Mgbele, Bureau Chief, North
TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR REGULATOR, the Nigerian Communications Commission(NCC), took advantage of the commemoration of this year’s World Consumer Rights Day(WCRD) yesterday, to restate the consumer-centric stance of the Commission is irrevocable .
This was the crux of the welcome address by the Deputy Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, Clem Omife, at the celebration of the World Consumer Rights Day 2024 at the Nigerian Communications Head Office, Maitama Abuja, north central, Nigeria, on March 15, 2024.
Mr. Omife’s address reads in part: “The World Consumer Rights Day is observed and celebrated on every 15th of March. This day is set aside to highlight the rights of consumers and protect them from exploitation, discrimination, and other forms of unfair practices.
Certainly, we cannot over-emphasis the importance the consumers.
According to Adams Smith, the author of the book wealth of Nations, he stated that “Consumption is the sole end and purpose of all production (and Services) and the interest of the producer/service provider ought to be attended to, only so far as it may be necessary for promoting that of the Consumer.
John Wanamaker, the one-time American Postmaster General and Advertising Expert further amplified the importance of the Consumer in his famous phrase “Customer is King”. At the NCC, Telecom consumers are Kings because they provide the major drive and essence of our activities.”
According to Omife, the Commission recognized the important position the consumers occupied in the telecommunications ecosystem, and therefore would continue to develop and promote consumer -centric initiatives aimed at ensuring that the rights of consumers were protected.
Said he: “Consumer Education also form a major tool for promoting consumer rights and therefore the Commission continues to engage with consumers and consumer issues using it various outreach programmes such the Telecom Consumer Parliament, Telecom Consumer Conversations: Market Conversation, Village Square Dialogue, Campus Conversation, NYSC Camp Sensitization Town Hall on Radio. We have also published the Telecom Consumer Handbook and transcribed into Braille for the Visually impaired.
Also, the Commission- is in the final process of deploying the Automated Consumer Complaints Management system, which will further expand the complaints channels and improve complaints resolutions even at First level with Service Providers
The Consumers will continue to occupy a special position in the Commission’s activities because we recognize that without the Consumers, there will be no telecommunication industry.
On this note, please accept my warm welcome to the NCC 2024 Celebration of the World Consumer Rights Day. Thank you and God bless.”
