On Saturday, July 27, as Nigerians brace up for the #Protest, reports that telecommunication operators in Nigeria, particularly MTN, Globacom, Airtel, and 9mobile have started barring subscribers’ lines started springing up.
Nigerians were told that the move is in line with the disconnection timelines set by the industry regulator to bar subscribers who are yet to link a National Identification Number (NIN) to their Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card(s).
As we speak, many telecom offices are flooded with crowds of people battling to unblock their SIM cards.
The confusion here is that many Nigerians say they have linked their NIN to their SIM cards several times.
This has left many questions begging for answers.
#Protest
Why did all the telecommunication companies block several SIM cards in Nigeria?
Also, is it a coincidence that the blockage is happening now, when Nigerians are preparing for #Protest?
While many Nigerians struggle to wrap their head around the latest development, others have already concluded that the move is an attempt to shelve the planned #Protest.
To these people, the government is using the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), to discourage protesters by barring their SIM cards.
As interesting as this might sound, it may also be wrong.
NIN Verification
You would recall that mobile networks based on a December 2023 directive from the NCC had barred subscribers who had not submitted their NINs for verification as of February 28, 2024.
In addition, a second set of subscribers with five or more SIM whose NINs failed verification were also fully barred on March 29, 2024.
There have been several deadlines given in the past on the cut-off date for SIM cards not linked to NINs, the last deadline for July 31, 2024 was planned to be definitive as shown from the strict adherence to the previous deadlines in February and March this year.
This decision was reached long before the planned protests.
The Accusation
Furthermore, a source at the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, disagreed with social media users who accused the telcos of being used by the government to scuttle the planned national protests.
“This accusation about MTN or others barring people from its network is unfair, mischievous, and dangerous.
“Other networks have been disconnecting subscribers based on the extant policy in this regard. Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile, Smile Communications, VDT, etc., have been disconnecting non-compliant consumers, long before planned protests”.
“The NCC is considering extending the deadline against its wish, but that idea also came long before the scheduled protests.
“Nigerians need to demonstrate that they can reason and recall incidents and social issues and not allow themselves to be misled by those who are bent on bringing Nigeria down.
“The NCC and its licensees will never disconnect consumers from networks because of protests.
“The Commission has continued to say that consumers are the lifeblood of the telecommunications industry.
Also Read: What To Do If Your MTN Line Is Barred
“Even the President of Nigeria has not said people have no right to protest.
He (President Tinubu) and right-thinking citizens have only expressed concerns about the hijack of protests by nihilists and those determined to embark on wanton destruction of properties.
No Going Back On #Protest
“So, those accusing MTN or other telecom networks of intention to sabotage the protests are unreasonable and manipulative.
“The Nigerian citizens and the public should not allow themselves to be misled to bring our country down in a reckless and brazen manner.
“Importantly, the NCC and mobile network operators have been educating telecom consumers on how to get back on their networks if they are barred due to non-verification of their NIN with their SIMs.
“People should take advantage of the opportunities and the awareness campaign to do their NIN-SIM verification”, the source said.
Well, Nigerians have insisted that there is no going back to the planned #Protest.
The protest is scheduled for August 1 to 10, and will hold across the 36 states of the federation.
