It is no longer news that telecom network service providers, MTN, has been depriving its subscribers of quality network services for sometime now. It however now appears to be getting out of hand and something needs to be done urgently to put an end to our agony. Trying to make or receive calls with my MTN line these days seems to be an arduous task considering the fact that I would have to dial about 7-10 times before connection is made. The connection is so poor that when it finally goes through, I have to strain earnestly before I can make out what the person on the other end is saying due to unclear network signal. I remember vividly sometime mid last year when I couldn’t change my display picture on my Blackberry messenger for about week due to poor services from MTN.
Not only is MTN falling short in the area of poor connectivity, when I send a text message with my line, I get charged up to 3 times instead of just once of (N5) which is supposed to be the normal for one message; it gets even worse when I send multiple messages at once. I just see messages of 5 Naira deductions coming on my screen repeatedly until I have to quickly remove the battery to stop the fleecing. Sometimes, I barely have an explanation as to how my airtime disappears from my phone; I load of recharge card of N400 and when I try to make a call in the next 2hours, I’ll be told I have an insufficient balance. Not only are they expensive, it is infact the most expensive of all; yet they cannot provide their consumers with quality network services. Trying to get across to their customer service is so difficult and almost impossible that I would rather save my battery power and precious time and a visit to their customer-service centres is like a trip to the stadium as they are daily thronged by obviously distraught customers like me.
NCC (Nigerian Communiactions Commission) needs to do something urgently about this network that has told us through its campaigns to “leave good behind’ and “be better”. It should kindly practice what it preaches. It is obvious that despite the heavy fine that was placed on them, Airtel and Glo recently there has being no major improvement on their part. The whole thing is frustrating. NCC, please do something, and do it fast.
Olusola Quadri, Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos
SOMEBODY SAVE US FROM NERC AND THE NEW POWER COMPANIES
I really don’t know which is worse of the two National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) or PHCN. Since NERC and these new power companies took charge of power and it became privatized, I can clearly state that things have gone from bad to worse. Yes worse; how can you explain the steady increase in electricity bills especially in a situation where you cannot boast of light for 4hours straight a day? As a family man, it’s quite annoying when I receive my monthly electricity bills and I see outrageous amounts that I am supposed to pay. I cannot remember when last I had my meter read, yet I receive estimated bills with crazy amounts; one which totally sets me off is when I receive these bills and I see outstanding payments I am supposed pay. They keep sending new outrageous bills without first reading the metre and they have no basis to back it up. What is really going on in this country?
We are being exploited everyday and we die in silence. Those who are supposed to be in charge of these things go and come as they please and no questions are being asked.
Since the introduction of prepaid meters, (which I believe is the best for us), I paid for one in my Ikeja home since May 2012 and till date I have not received it. These people are not in a hurry to even change the meters for us from the analogue ones to the prepaid ones because they know what they are benefitting at our expense.
As if paying outrageous bills for continuous darkness is not enough punishment, NERC decided to increase the multi-year Tariff Order, MYTO effective from June 1, 2014; I can only imagine what my next electricity bill would look like. Before NERC took over from PHCN, I was paying a monthly amount of N3, 000 per month, which estimated to N8, 000; the last one which I paid doubled to N17, 000. I can only imagine the outrageous sum I would be given next.
I believe I am not the only Nigerian who is suffering this seemingly NERC-sanctioned extortion. I am, therefore, using this medium to appeal to federal government to call NERC, the electricity generation companies and the new power companies to ameliorate our sufferings. Let us stop rewarding inefficiency and pay only for what we consume. Give us pre-paid metres, please!
Jonathan Akpan, Ikeja-Lagos
