The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned three GSM operators to comply with its November 8 directives banning all forms of promotions and lotteries in the telecommunications or face sanctions. According to commission, the trio of Globacom; Airtel; Etisalat are yet to comply with the directive of the commission.
The telecoms regulator, in a separate letter, signed by the NCC’s Executive Commissioner (Stakeholders Management), Okechukwu Itanyi on behalf of the executive vice chairman, Eugene Juwah, addressed to the affected operators, copies of which were made available to journalists, said it discovered that Globacom observed the direction only in breach as could be evidenced by not communicating the ban to the subscribers as prescribed in the directive and that the telecoms firm had not withdrawn all promo advertisement in the electronic, print media and on the bill boards.
The commission also accused Airtel Nigeria of not communicating the ban to its subscribers as prescribed in the direction. It said that Airtel did not put any publication of the ban on its websites and that the telecommunications firm was yet to withdrew all promotions and lotteries advertisement in the electronic, print media and billboards. For Emerging Market Telecoms Services (EMTS), operating as Etisalat Nigeria, NCC, which also blamed them for not communicating the ban to its subscribers, accused the telecoms firm of not publishing the ban on its websites; continuous advertisement of promotions and both the print and electronic media (94.7 Rhythm FM radio). NCC alleged that Etisalat still sends to its subscribers such messages as; recharge and get 200 per cent of all your recharges back; get N100 free to call any network for ever N100 used, recharge now by dialing *156 * 1 * rechargepin#.
According to NCC, these actions were a total disregard of Section 53 of the Nigeria Communications Act 2003 and punishable under Section 55 thereof and as defined in Regulation 15 (I) and second schedule 12 of the Nigerian Communications (Enforcement Processes, etc.), Regulations 2005.
