The Federal
Government has been urged to compel the National Assembly to expedite action on
the passage of the Telecoms Bill, which, among other things, seeks the
protection of telecoms facilities in the country.
The call was
part of a communiqué released at the end of a Critical ICT Infrastructure
Protection conference organised by Communications Week, in collaboration with
the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria
(ALTON), in Lagos.
The
conference, which coincided with the gunmen attacks on telecoms facilities in
the Northern part of the country, stressed the need for the protection of
telecoms facilities and the declaration of the facilities as 'critical national
infrastructure' that must be guarded.
Following
the attacks, President of National Association of
Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), Mr. Deolu Ogunbanjo, condemned
the action, and called on the Minister of
Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, to prevail on
lawmakers to unveil legislation that would protect telecoms facilities and
declare such facilities as national assets that must not be tampered with.
The calls
for legislation on telecoms facilities rose after the recent attacks on Base
Transceiver Stations (BTS) and masts in some Northern states of the country by
gunmen.
Speaking on
the consequences of the attacks, Ogunbanjo said it would not only affect
service quality, but would also lead to loss of jobs and economic loss for the
country.
The
conference, with the theme: 'Protecting Telecoms Infrastructure to Ensure
Service Quality to Subscribers and Safeguard Investments,' urged government to
set up a task force for the protect ICT infrastructure, and called for
confidentiality agreement on communications data that may be released to the
public on demand, to ensure maximum protection.
The forum
also recommended that government should set up data centres, where information
could be accessed from a single source and managed by government.
"No
telecoms site should be shut down for any reason because of its consequences on
service quality. Offices of erring telecoms operators should rather be closed
instead of their facilities," the participants said, and called for full
protection of the interest of consumers as it affects telecoms facilities.
To avoid
further attacks on telecoms facilities, the forum suggested the involvement of
communities in protecting telecoms infrastructure, as well as a conscious
effort to create more awareness on the importance of telecoms facilities to the
nation.
Immediate
past Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian
Communications Commission, (NCC), Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, who chaired
the conference, said telecommunications services have impacted a great deal on
the economy and individuals, and that its facilities must be properly guarded
by government, subscribers and the communities.
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