Nigerians have been warned to refrain from using substandard phones. Reason: it is responsible for some cancer ailments, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday.
An official of the commission, Mr Kunle Olorundare, gave the warning at a stakeholders workshop organised by the Ibadan Zonal office of the NCC in Ado Ekiti.
Olorundare, who lamented that fake phones had taken over the country’s phone market, added that such phones have had negative implications on the health of their users.
The NCC official also identified unapproved phones as a major cause of network interruptions.
He said the preponderance of substandard phones was causing colossal damage to network services and health of users.
Olorundare warned that sellers of unapproved Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products were flouting the commission’s Act.
He said they could face prosecution or seizure of their market items if they did not desist from selling such henceforth.
Olorundare also advised phone sellers across the country to ensure the phones they buy from manufacturers and dealers were approved by the NCC.
He added that the NCC had a list of all Information and Communication ICT products approved for sale and use in Nigeria.
Another official of the commission, who represented the Head of Zonal Operations in Abuja, Mr. Ekisola Oladosu, promised that the NCC would do all within its powers to check the proliferation of substandard phones.
He noted that the task of sanitising the Nigerian phone market rested on all stakeholders, and called on Nigerians to support the campaign.
