Elections: NCC Dismisses Rumoured Shutdown Of Telecom Services

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has urged Nigerians to ignore a rumoured shutdown of telecommunications network during the presidential election on Saturday, February 25.

Messages have been sent by some bloggers and netizens that all the telecoms network will be shutdown by their operators as a way of discouraging election speculators.

Some reports have also insinuated that banks will shut down their networks during the period, thus making it impossible for customers to make online transactions.

The commercial banks have already debunked such speculations. They will open their online platforms for users the bank said during the week.

In the past, election results had been announced on social media before the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, made a final announcement, thus causing confusion.

Shutting down network services, some said, will discourage such acts. But not a few have sternly spoken against it.

But in a statement on Thursday, the NCC described such reports as misleading, that should be totally ignored by Nigerians.

The statement said, “The attention of the NCC, has been drawn to fraudulent and misleading information circulating in some social media platforms, insinuating there is a planned shutdown of all telecom networks and relevant ICT Units, including online transfer facilities of the banks, with effect from today, February 23, 2023.”

“The Nigerian public, consumers of telecommunications services, and all bank customers are advised to ignore these or similar messages that insinuate deliberate network shutdown or disruption of services in the Nigerian telecom network.

“The Nigerian public, consumers of telecommunications services, and all bank customers are advised to ignore these or similar messages that insinuate deliberate network shutdown or disruption of services in the Nigerian telecom network.

“These malicious and subversive messages originated and are being circulated by fraudsters and unscrupulous elements in the society with the intent to cause chaos and panic among the populace.

“The Commission has received unequivocal assurances from all the service providers to the effect that all the network services are currently in optimal performance, and will not witness any deliberate shutdown or disruptions, especially at this very crucial period of general elections in the country.

“Therefore, all users of telecommunications and banking services utilising network facilities are assured of continued optimal service delivery before, during, and after the general elections in Nigeria,” the NCC said.