EHICHIOYA EZOMON 
Viewed within the context of the prevailing high inflation rate, frequent increase in fuel pump price, high electricity tariff and the exponential cost of living, the recent 50 per cent rise in costs of calls and data usage by the telecommunications operators in the country is both inexcusable and unjustifiable. That is more so, as the 10- man committee set up by the Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to deliberate on the sensitive matter is yet to submit its report.
It is also on record that the House of Representatives (HOR) has also called on them to hold on until the issue is finally resolved. Against this background, it is understandable that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the telecom operators to make an immediate reversal of the 50% hike in the cost of their services. Furthermore, it has issued a March 1 deadline for a total shutdown of their operations if they fail to reverse the hike.
That came about according to the communique jointly signed by the National President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and the General Secretary, Emma Ugboaja, after the meeting of the NLC’s Central Working Committee recently held in Lokoja, Kogi State. According to the NLC it is tantamount to crass disregard to due process and a betrayal of trust for the telecoms operators to have gone ahead to implement the increase, despite the interventions from the NLC. And the labour union has also berated the Federal Government for failing to protect the hapless citizens from corporate exploitation.
To give teeth to its bite, the NLC has directed workers and the willing citizens to boycott their services between 11.00 and 2 pm from February 13, 2025 until the end of the month. Yet, this face off between the NLC and the telecoms operators would have been stemmed if there was respect for the rights and privileges of the consumers of their services, and of course, if there was respect for the rule of law.
The gross lack of such a significant principle of the trust between the service provider and the customer, which normally strengthens economic productivity and sustainability led to the recent mistake made by MTN. The biggest telecommunications operator in Nigeria undertook a sudden 200% increase from N2,000 to N6,000 in the price of its 15GB digital bundle plan. It was, however, compelled to offer a public apology following the widespread backlash from the people.
It should not put the cart of satisfying the wishes of a few political leaders before the horse of sustainable, enabling environment for businesses to not only survive, but also thrive
Ordinarily, MTN would have been applauded for coming up with the designing of the 15 GB data bundle meant to support the low income subscribers and further greater internet penetration. That was through My MTN app and MTN MoMo (Mobile Money).
But apparently MTN could no longer offer the plan at its original price. This brings to the fore the huge cost of doing business in Nigeria, which the President Bola Tinubu-led government must rise up to ameliorate. Lest we want to deceive ourselves, the current economic situation deserves another appraisal from the point of the policies on ground.
The government should as a matter of priority focus more on providing the enabling environment for businesses to start and thrive than pauperising the poor masses through all manner of taxes, hike in electricity tariff and pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). It is economically asphyxiating and socially strangulating.
What it all boils down to is that much as we, the consumers, lay much of the blame for the 50% hike in the costs of calls and data at the doorstep of the telecom operators, the government must also play its part by reducing the cost of doing business. At the end of the day, when the government comes up with all manners of increases in the tariffs of services it is the citizens at the lowest rung of the societal ladder that bear the brunt.
That, precisely, is what is currently playing out. Government should have given a listening ear to the call by the House of Representatives, as directed to the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, and the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) to suspend the hike until the services of the telcos improved. This clarion call followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance brought by Representative Obuku Offorji. Though the minister had informed the lawmakers of the desire by the telecom operators to increase the cost of their services by as high as 100% the harsh economic realities speak volumes to the contrary.
The argument on the part of the government that the telcos need cost-effective tariffs in the face of the adverse economic situation is understandable. While we wait for the outcome of the deliberations of the 10- man committee set up by the Federal Government and the NLC now is therefore, the time for the government of the day to be driven by the philosophy of democracy, as a government of the people, by the people and for the people. It should not put the cart of satisfying the wishes of a few political leaders before the horse of sustainability, enabling the environment for businesses to not only survive, but also thrive.
