The Nigerian government has been called upon to speed up its plans concerning a proposed bill conferring critical national resource status on telecommunications equipment across the nation.
The president of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS), Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, made the call as a result of the spate of vandalism across the country.
He noted the federal government had said in February 2012 it was collaborating with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the various telecoms companies that are operating in Nigeria.
He said since then little has been heard about the planned development of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure protection bill.
Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communications Technology, had previously said the bill would be ready before the end of 2012 and ICT infrastructure should be protected the same way electricity and railway infrastructure is.
According to Ogunbanjo, the inability of the government was regretful. He said: “Just like the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) poles, telecoms installations are critical national infrastructure that should not be left in the hands of operators alone.
“Subscribers find the growing targeted attacks on telecom equipment, infrastructure and telecom workers worrisome. Subscribers are therefore calling on the Minister of Communication Technology to hasten work on a bill that will declare ICT equipment as critical national infrastructure protected by law.”
HumanIPO reported in December that MTN Nigeria blamed sabotage by vandals and terrorists for their poor network performance.
