The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta has stated that Nigerians have a responsibility to take charge of safeguarding telecommunications infrastructure since any vandalism damages the provider’s ability to provide a high-quality service.
He made this known while speaking on Thursday during the 2022 edition of Youth, Civil Society and Stakeholders summit discussing how to prevent the disruption and vandalization of telecom, power oil and gas, marine, railway, education, health, and other important infrastructure in the country .
He stated that ‘Communication and connectivity is now a right to every citizen and when telecoms infrastructure is tampered with, it will automatically disrupt the quality of experience and service they receive.’
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Prof. Danatta urged community leaders and youth to work together to protect essential infrastructure from potential attacks in order to maintain investor confidence and economic expansion. Prof. Danatta was represented at the event by Nnnenna Ukaoha, Head Corporate Communications, Nigerian Communications Commission.
‘Communication and connectivity is now a right to every citizen and when you disrupt infrastructure, you are disrupting quality of experience and quality of service. What we are saying to Nigerian people is in your environment take ownership of infrastructure protection because if you vandalize it, it will affect quality of your life, business, everything because communication and connectivity is an enabler to every sector of life.
‘It can even go to reduce poverty in our society, especially with young people. With internet connectivity, your computer can do so many things and turn your life around within seconds. Please take ownership of communication of infrastructure within your environment so that your life will improve, it will help curb poverty in rural and urban centers’.
The Inspector General of Police, who was represented by Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police head of the Nigerian Police’s Counter-Terrorism Unit, Iwo Nemi, noted in his statement that the force has been implementing several training programs and strategies to reduce the incidence of vandalism of infrastructure and has appealed for public assistance in combating the problem.
‘We have role to play, first we engage in pre- during and after election. We have been making efforts to ensure peace and need information, technology and support of the media to make sure we protect the critical national infrastructure.’
‘Security is not for police alone, we need information from people to be able to work effectively. If you see something say something. Policing is for everybody and is local. Those who vandalize the critical infra are your brothers and sister. Help us with relevant information and let us work on them.’
‘We have series of seminars and workshops where police officers are trained on election management. We have done it in Ondo, Ekiti and Osun and we are ready to improve on whatever success we have recorded.’
The organizer of the meeting and Director General for Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria earlier stated that, a workshop was held to urge stakeholders and CSOs to collaborate together to prevent vandalism and damage of the nation’s vital infrastructure, especially during the next elections.
He encouraged Nigerians to take responsibility for safeguarding essential infrastructure and issued a warning to politicians to set their priorities straight and make sure they do not fund young people to destroy it ahead of the elections.
‘Having observed that numerous infrastructure put in place by federal government in harnessing the resources of our nation and in attaining economic growth and development, we as patriotic Nigerians, feel it is our civic responsibility to mobilize stakeholders and CSOs to see how we can create synergy towards the protection of this critical national infrastructure against vandalism and destruction, particularly during these coming elections.’
‘We are advising politicians to set their priority very right and do not disrupt infrastructure, focus on their campaign, not to sponsor the youths not to spoil critical infrastructure for elections. Nigerians should begin to take ownership of critical infrastructure.’
‘From here we are moving zone by zone, state by state to create synergy with traditional and youth leaders. We are calling on people to report any vandalization in their area.’
Johnny also urged the national assembly in the same vein, asking that they establish the National Infrastructure Trust Fund, which will aid the government in obtaining funding from businesses in order to safeguard and preserve this infrastructure.