By Eshioromeh Sebastian
The Nigerian Senate has summoned major telecommunications operators, MTN Nigeria, Globacom, Airtel Nigeria and T2 Mobile, over alleged unjustified deductions from subscribers’ airtime for failed, dropped and interrupted calls.
The operators are expected to appear before the Senate Committee on Communications, alongside the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), to explain their billing practices and account for charges imposed on calls that either failed to connect or were abruptly terminated.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno (Borno North), titled “Need to Curb Unjustified Deductions from Subscribers’ Airtime Resulting from Substandard Telecommunications Services through Robust Consumer Protection.” The motion was presented by the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru (Kwara South).
Presenting the motion, Monguno said millions of Nigerians spend substantial amounts on airtime daily but frequently experience failed connections, sudden disconnections, inaudible conversations and network interruptions, resulting in airtime deductions without effective communication.
He noted that subscribers are often forced to make repeated calls to establish connections, incurring additional costs from network deficiencies beyond their control.
The motion stated: “The Senate affirms that Nigerians must not be made to pay for telecommunications services that have not been effectively delivered, as payment for airtime is payment for a service and not merely an attempt to establish communication.”
The lawmaker warned that while individual deductions may appear insignificant, when aggregated across millions of subscribers, they translate into substantial financial losses, particularly for low income earners, traders, students and small business operators.
NCC Mandated to Investigate, Enforce Refunds
The Senate resolved to urge the NCC to investigate the billing practices of the mobile network operators to establish the extent of airtime deductions arising from failed, dropped and interrupted calls.
It also called on the Commission to establish an accessible, time bound complaints and redress mechanism for subscribers seeking refunds or compensation, and to introduce regulations requiring operators to automatically reverse or refund airtime deducted from verifiably failed calls.
The Senate further directed the Committee on Communications to conduct the investigation, assess the financial losses suffered by subscribers, and report back within four weeks with recommendations for legislative and regulatory action.
Akpabio Warns: No Cover Up
Senate President Godswill Akpabio directed the committee, chaired by Senator Aliyu Ikra Bilbis, to commence the investigation immediately.
Akpabio described the four week deadline as lengthy but necessary, warning that the Senate could take over the investigation as a Committee of the Whole if the committee failed to produce a satisfactory report.
He said the Senate could subsequently summon all affected telecommunications operators, the minister supervising the NCC and the commission’s Executive Vice Chairman to answer questions on the allegations.
Akpabio said: “The public is complaining, and our job here is to make sure that we tackle the concerns of the Nigerian public and also the losses they suffer that are actually avoidable.”
Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), who seconded the motion, described the issue as timely, noting that telecommunications challenges affect virtually every Nigerian and require urgent intervention by regulatory authorities.
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