Telecom tariff hike: Students give 72-hour ultimatum for tariff reverse tariff

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By Iheanyi Chukwudi

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and telecom companies have been given 72-hour ultimatum to reverse the recent 50 per cent hike in tariff.

Pan-African students movement, Progressive Students Movement (PSM), which gave the ultimatum on Tuesday, described the hoke as "anti-masses increment."

The group stressed that the 50 per cent increment in tariff at this time is "unjustifiable, untimely, and insensitive," hence its total rejection by the students.

President of PSM, Comrade Bestman Okereafor, said in a statement made available to newsmen in Enugu that the review and reversal of the increment is imperative.

He said that the student group wants NCC and telecommunications companies to as a matter of urgency, review their stance.

His statement reads, "The attention of PSM has been drawn to NCC’s approval of Telecom operators 50 per cent tariff increment.

It will be recalled that telecom operators had previously demanded to adjust their tariff rate; a request which many Nigerians especially Nigerian students frowned at.

Information at our disposal shows that NCC approved the telecom companies request in response to rising operational costs, at the detriment of Nigerians and the obvious economic realities facing the country.

However, this development, which allows for a maximum of 50 per cent adjustment to current tariffs, was announced in a statement signed by Reuben Muoka, the NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, on Monday, Jan. 20."

The PSM President warned that the entire students' bodies would be protesting "this abnormal and inconsiderate 50 per cent increment in tariff if not reviewed in the next 72 hours."