Time to Pass Bill on Critical National Infrastructure is now- NCC

The chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has stated to the Senate Committee on Telecommunications that the right time to pass the bill designating telecom infrastructure as a critical national infrastructure into law is now.

According to Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, the bill has been in the National Assembly for the past two years. “It is important that this is done to in order for telecom operators to work effectively.

Some citizens derive joy in destroying telecom infrastructure meant for national development, signing the bill into law will help in curbing the menace.

According to him, developed countries have for a long time placed very hard laws against vandalization of telecoms infrastructure and this should be the same in Nigeria. “We want the law to be stringent on those over-ambitious citizens who believe in shortcut to wealth, destroying what takes a lot of sweat and finance to build. We lay very expensive cables and people go and dig them up. We need to make it a criminal offence to destroy telecom infrastructure,” he said.

Durojaiye was speaking at the sensitization workshop on the implications of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement on the communications industry at the Four Point Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos