Yesterday being Tuesday November 29th, 2016, I led a delegation to the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) Maitama Abuja, where we held a meeting with the regulatory body to explain their reason(s) for the planned increment of tariff on data services by 200% in the country which will take effect starting December 1st. They ended up giving us flimsy excuses claiming they want to assist the telecommunication companies not to fold up. What an excuse!
If the new tariff increment is allowed to take effect as directed by NCC’ which is aimed at generating more revenue for the Federal Government at the expense of the already suffering Nigerian people, a 1.5 Gig which presently costs N1,000.00, will then go for N3,000.00, meaning an extra N2,000.00. This the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) under my watch will not accept considering all the economic hardships scourging the people in the country.
The Nigerian students and youths represents 70% of the population that uses these data. Therefore if NCC and Telecommunication companies dare go ahead to implement the increment in Tariff we will do all it takes to resist it. In fact, we will go as far as destroying the telecommunication facilities in all our Campuses.
NANS is totally against the planned increment of tariff on data services. In the interest of humanity, we call on President Buhari-led executive, the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and Telecommunication companies to rather consider reviewing the tariff downward to make internet services easily accessible, portable and available to all Nigerians, most especially students and youths who uses the internet for research and other purpose(s).
We also call on the National Assembly to stop the executive arm of the federal government from this dastardly act against the Nigerian people. NANS wonder why any reasonable government would want to fix price for private companies against the interest of its citizens. The National leadership of NANS under President Aruna Kadiri, in solidarity with all well meaning Nigerians Say “No” To Planned Tariff Increment On Data Services and this is non-negotiable.
Signed:
Comr. Aruna Kadiri, NANS President
November 30th, 2016
