Anthony Nwakaegho /DigitalSENSE Business News
A
member of the House Committee on Communications, Hon Abiodun Awoleye has said
that the National Assembly will soon pass into law a bill that regards telecoms
facilities in Nigeria as a critical national infrastructure.
Awoleye,
who represented the Chairman of the House Committee on Communications, Hon.
Oyetunde Ojo gave the hint in Lagos at the first conference of African telecoms
regulators on consumer affairs (CATCO),
2013, organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) .
He
also said that the bill with specific focus on telecoms sector will soon become
a law in Nigeria in order to reduce re-occurrence of vandalisation of telecoms
facilities in the country.
DigitalSENSE Business News
learnt that such laws already exist for the protection of oil and gas and power
infrastructures hence the House is keen on fast-tracking the passage of the
bill into law.
“In view of this, as lawmakers with
understanding of the critical role information and communication technology can
play in an economy, we have fast-tracked legislative measures to ensure that we
have the Telecoms National Infrastructure Bill passed into law. As I speak with
you, the Bill has passed first and second reading in the lower legislative
chamber and once this is harmonised with the position of the Senate, it means
the next thing for the bill will be the President’s assent and then it become
law.”
He
informed the telecom stakeholders that the lawmakers would continue to stimulate
legislation that would protect the over $25 billion about N3,986,249,035,234.03
telecoms investment with a view to ensuring
that subscribers get content quality of services.
Awoleye
explained that the bill when passed into law will criminalise any act of
vandalism or sabotage against ICT infrastructures, as they will now be
classified as critical national security infrastructure.
DigitalSENSE Business News
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Pix: Speaker House of Rep.Hon. Aminu Wazari Tambuwal
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