RABI’UL-THANI 23, 1429 A.H
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30 2008
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Bankole wants low GSM tariffs
The Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, yesterday in Abuja called for a downward review in cell phone tariffs in the country.
Bankole, who spoke at the national launch of Celtel Rural Acquisition Initiative, described as unsatisfactory, the current quality of service provided by the country's GSM operators.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Communications, Sen. Sylvester Anyanwu, however, did not share the view on a new tariff regime.
Anyanwu said that tariffs were based on operational costs incurred by the operators because of vandalism and poor power supply among others.
On the initiative by Celtel, aimed at engaging rural entrepreneurs as trade partners, both legislators agreed that it was a laudable idea.
Bankole said: ``The fact that 70 per cent of Nigerians live in rural areas is a testimony that any development effort must not neglect the rural dwellers.
``The access of poor people in the rural areas is often time limited or not available at all.
``I hope this initiative would promote civic duties and education at the rural level,'' he said.
The Chairman of Celtel Nigeria, Mr Gamaliel Onosode, said the launch was as a result of the success of the pilot scheme launched last year in the south-eastern part of the country.
He said the initiative would achieve a significant reduction in the incidents of theft and vandalism.
``I say this because part of the rural acquisition initiative is that the local entrepreneurs will assume indirect ownership of our facilities in their domain,'' he said.
Onosode said that the activities of vandals cost ``Celtel an average of 300 litres of diesel per second and more than 15 power generators monthly .''
