House of Reps threatens telecoms with sanctions for snubbing hearing

The House of Representatives has issued a warning of potential sanctions against telecommunications operators for repeatedly neglecting to attend legislative hearings regarding poor service delivery. This warning emerged from a session of the House Ad Hoc Committee on Telecommunications Service Quality held in Abuja, where lawmakers expressed frustration after chief executives from major telecom companies, including MTN, Globacom, Airtel, and T2 Mobile, failed to appear.

Instead, representatives from the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) attended, claiming to represent the operators. The committee, led by Hon. Olumide Osoba (Rep, Abeokuta North/Obafemi Owode/Odeda) and presided over by Rep. Sunday Umeha (Rep, Ezeagu/Udi), insisted that the summons were directed at individual operators, each responsible for their services.

Following a heated exchange, Umeha ordered ALTON representatives to leave, warning against further unauthorized appearances. Osoba noted that public complaints about service quality were significant, impacting businesses reliant on telecommunications, especially ahead of the 2027 general elections.