NCC partners firms to rebuild destroyed telecom facilities in North-East

The Director General of National Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, has said that the commission is working with Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication providers to rebuild Boko Haram destroyed telecom facilities in the North-East sub-region of the country.

The destroyed telecom masts and base stations signals are worth billions of naira lost during the Boko Haram insurgency between 2009 and 2015 in Borno, Adamwa and Yobe states.

Prof. Danbatta disclosed this at the weekend; while presenting Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment to Borno State Police Command in Maiduguri, the state capital.

He said with return of peace, there is the need to rebuild all the destroyed telecom facilities in restoring GSM communications in Northeast.He noted that the destruction of these telecom facilities has seriously affected communications in most of the major towns, including the state capitals of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

Prof. Danbatta, who was represented by NCC Director of Legal and
Regulatory Services, Hajiya Hafsat Lawan said the commission was in talks with the GSM providers on ways to get the destroyed facilities rebuilt and restore effective communications.

Her words: “We are working on making GSM work effectively in Borno State and parts of the North-East sub-region destroyed by Boko Haram.”Lawan also disclosed that the commission was equally ready to make some sacrifices needed to take the full pains off the GSM providers.

She said the representatives of NCC; was in Maiduguri to collaborate with the police on ending cybercrime which has fuelled to dent the nation’s image in the international community.

She said that the donated ICT equipment and facilities; was to assist the police tackle cybercrime, adding that the commission was ready to give further donation in this regard.

Responding, the Borno State Police Commissioner, Damien Chukwu said they would be put to use in fighting crimes.He assured the commission that the police would provide needed escorts; whenever the work on the destroyed telecommunications facilities commence.