The threat by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to shut down telecommunication services in protest against 50 per cent tariff hike has gotten the federal government to deploy
officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, to sites where masts are located.
NLC had expressed dissatisfaction at the tarrif hike of telecom services.
As a result, the workers’ union urged Nigerians to boycott the services of major telecom providers, including MTN, Airtel, and Glo, daily between 11am and 2pm, starting from February 13 and continuing through the month.
It also said failure of the operators to revert to the previous prices would be met with a shutdown of telecommunication facilities including masts on March 1.
In reaction to the threat and ahead of March 1, NSCDC officers have been deployed to mast sites to protect the facilities.
This was made known by the security agency ’s spokesman, Babawale Afolabi.
“Already, the NSCDC commandant-general has directed state commandants to maintain round-the-clock surveillance in and around all the telecom masts in their locations.
“Also, there is going to be nationwide massive deployment of the officers and men of the corps, including undercover and intelligence operatives, to maintain peace and ensure that all the government and corporate organisations’ critical national assets and infrastructure are protected from the miscreants who might likely use the opportunity of the planned protest to carry out their criminal activities.’
“Available credible intelligence already established the fact that the planned protest will be hijacked by hoodlums and that is why the NSCDC is on top of the situation,” Punchng quoted Afolabi as saying.
