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How Criminals Take Advantage Of Our Lack Of Prosecution Power To Degrade Our Services – NCC Boss

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communication Commission ( NCC), Professor Umar Garba Danbatta has narrated how criminals have taken advantage of the fact that the Commission had no power to prosecute by engaging in all types of sabotage to undermine the quality of its services.

Speaking today, July 26 when a high-powered delegation of the Kano State Judiciary paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja, Professor Danbatta said that while the Commission is doing everything within its regulatory mandate to enforce compliance among licensees as well as collaborating with stakeholders to protect telecom infrastructure, some individuals indulge in willful damage of telecom infrastructure, vandalism, telecoms facility theft, and fibre cuts, among other crimes.

He said that these criminal acts combined to degrade the quality of service in the country.

He stressed that since the NCC has no prosecution power, the need to strengthen collaboration with the judicial arm of the government at all levels has become expedient.

“NCC does not have prosecutorial power in criminal acts committed by the citizens and licensees which are inimical to the progress of the sector; and we appreciate the ways and manners such criminal cases are being dispensed by the judiciary. This is a testimony to the kind cooperation NCC has been enjoying from the judiciary.”

According to Professor Danbatta, the Commission will never fold its arms while unscrupulous citizens cause havoc on telecommunications infrastructure since that affects  the quality of service innocent citizens enjoy.

“Therein lies the importance of the judiciary in the work that we have been assigned by the government to do. We very much appreciate this cooperation with the judiciary and we are committed to ensure that the cooperation grows stronger and stronger going forward.”

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According to him, the recently concluded NCC Judges Workshop held in Abuja, was a very important initiative of the Commission to continuously collaborate with members of the judicial arm of government through updating them with the trends and regulatory dynamism of the sector with a view to improving their knowledge for effective dispensation of justice.

Earlier in his address, the Chief Registrar of Kano State High Court of Justice, Abdullahi Ado Bayero, who led the delegation, commended the efforts of Professor Danbatta and NCC in fast-tracking digital transformation of governance and other sectors of the economy.

He noted that Judiciary has recognised the necessity and inevitability of digital justice system as well as full integration of ICT-based court system in the administration of justice, which he said, is well entrenched in the National Judiciary Information Technology Policy (NJITP), 2021 and is consistent with the NCC’s objective and strategic intervention to advance ICT knowledge and training for various public institutions in Nigeria.

“It is in line with the above that the Kano State Judiciary is determined to explore all necessary avenues and opportunities to integrate ICT-based court systems as well as digitised justice delivery systems for efficient and effective administration of justice in the state and we request NCC’s intervention in this regard.”

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