Date Published: 07/02/09
DON’T PRIVATISE NITEL FACILITIES – UNITY FORUM
MOBILE TELEPHONE OPERATORS
On 29 June 2009 Unity Forum noted that the state of the nation telecommunication system is at the whim and caprices of the mobile telephone operators. Their services to the consumers are filled with excess charges and huge profits to the coffers of the operators. In spite of the huge profits garnered by these operators, there is less spending on infrastructural development and improvement in our country.
With this in mind, it is apt to advice the federal government not to privatise NITEL facilities. Rather, it should invest in building national optic fibre transmission grid that will serve as hub for all Mobile Phone Operators (MPO). This will generate an annual income to the budget. The national grid is part of our national interest and security system. This cannot be operated by a private individual rather by a Joint Task Force, Representatives of all Security Agencies on the Board.
As applicable worldwide, telephone lines for the Military, National Emergency Agency, Civil Defence, Hospital Emergency and Fire Brigade etc is free for the above mentioned. Through this means there will be free internet to facilitate Information Technology Education which is the key to modern know how and education.
As at Today, each Mobile Phone Operator is digging holes with tiny optic fibres all over the country without planning and coordination which make any development effort more expensive and troublesome. In addition, it impacts negatively by cutting across farm lands and leaking of sensitive information that bothers on national interest through this means. Also, the Mobile Phone Operators are hosting antennas, battling each other and spoiling the beautiful landscape of Nigeria cities and rural areas.
The communication antennas should also be hung by the successor of NITEL who will compel all GSM operators to use one mast in each location instead of having one for each. This will reduce the running cost and health hazard created by the emission from the mast, as well as the noise pollution created by the several masts close to each other. In the developed world, communication is the best earner of income to the treasury. These masts can be used for radio transmitters and cable network operators.
M. M. Abdu (signed)
Chairman
