By, Olawale Ogunbusola

The Senate Arm of the National Association of Polytechnic Students, NAPS, has called the major telecommunication companies to end its systemic exploitation against planned picketing.

This formed basis of discussion at a press conference held at Federal Co-Operative College, Eleyele, Ibadan on Tuesday.

Speaking, President of the Senate of the National Association of Polytechnic Students, Comrade Festus Oyewumi lamented the pains and struggles of over 20 million Nigerian students in a critical economy of the country, saying the telecommunication companies have added woes to the struggles through its systemic exploitation.

The student leader described the press conference as a  deadline to telecommunications system failure, leading to exploitation of the public.

He added that the student population has taken notice of recent clarification by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission(FCCPC) over suspension of airtime borrowing, and data advance compromise, despite, the commission described the suspension a temporary ban, the student leader lampooned the continued anti-consumer practices of major telecommunication operators, especially MTN and AIRTEL.

Comrade Oyewumi noted that the singular decision is beginning to suffocate the student community, saying its effect tolls on lectures, assignments, researches, and online learning practices across the nation’s educational institutions.

The student leader raised concern about the major telecommunication operators, especially MTN, and AIRTEL including network failures, slow connectivity, service outages, poor customer service relation, and refusal to live by the NCC’s directives, saying the negatives have worsened the economy and improved technology-driven-education practices.

Meanwhile, Comrade Oyewumi has issued a-7 day ultimatum to MTN and AIRTEL Nigeria to publicly commit to measurable time-bound improvement on network quality, implement transparent compensations for affected subscribers, end in total hidden charges, jettison all exploitative data policies, threatening nationwide students protest and picketing of its offices nationwide.

However, the Student Body called the Nigerian Communications Commission(NCC) and Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission(FCCPC) to enforce existing regulation against telecommunication exploitation by the major telecommunication operators, especially MTN and AIRTEL Nigeria