By Abdulfatah Babatunde
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned traders about negative consequences of selling and buying unapproved phones and telecommunications gadgets.
The Chief Executive Officer of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, gave the warning at the fifth edition of Market Conversation, recently held at GSM Village in Abuja.
Dr Emilia Nwokoro, Deputy Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau of the commission, represented Danbatta at the forum.
TheNewsZenith reports that Market Conversation is a telecom consumer outreach programme of NCC.
The Executive Vice Chairman said the event was part of the sensitisation efforts of the Commission to address the issue of unapproved gadgets.
“Certification of telecom devices used in the telecom sector is one of the mandates of the NCC.
“Its central objective is the protection of the rights and interests of consumers,” he said.
“Non-type approved telecom devices are from “grey sources” and can degrade the quality of services in the network.
According to Dambatta, there is a need to sensitise traders about the implications of trading in substandard products.
“This is because sellers may face the risk of arrest and prosecution when found selling non-type approved devices.
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“The essence of coming here today is to enlighten the traders on the dangers of selling non-type-approved devices.
“The NCC established procedures for certifying telecom products sellable and usable in Nigeria and that explains its efforts to raise this awareness.
“It is to ensure that substandard products are not circulated in any market in Nigeria,” NCC boss said.
Earlier, Mr Macdonald Ajuogu, the Chairman of GSM Village Market, said the market union has a task force that monitors types and standards of devices on sale in Abuja.
“The association has also put measures in place to deal with any member that goes against their rules.
“Normally, we have a platform where we register anybody that deals with any phone in the market.
“The union also set up a task force that checks products on sale in the market,” Ajuogu explained.
He thanked the NCC for coming to sensitise the traders.
The chairman promised that the traders would abide by the prescriptions of NCC by cross-checking with it’s list of certified and type-approved devices to avoid being sanctioned.
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