Bizarre aextortions by Banks and Telecom Firms

BIZARRE EXTORTIONS BY BANKS AND TELECOM FIRMS

   
Aside my personal experience, I’ve in several occasions been reliably informed that quite some time now, millions of Nigerians have been subjected to an untold hardship in the hands of the various commercial banks as well as telecommunication companies situated across the federation, via instigation of unending bilious charges.

    The last time I thoroughly checked, the nauseous practice almost got out of hand that it required only a stiff measure for it to be bade an eternal farewell by its innumerable victims. I would have considered this critique as frivolous, if I were to give a listening ear to a casual and spontaneous utterance tendered by a childhood friend resident in Texas, USA; the fellow in question unequivocally asked me, albeit ignorantly, to ignore the said phenomenon since Nigerians are used to suchlike experiences.

    
The point the Texas-based Nigerian-born dude was frantically trying to make is that the ongoing anomaly, among other related ones, is peculiar to Nigeria thus not unlike a norm; I assent to the assertion. But he was ignorant of the obvious fact that not all traditions are meant to be upheld; unarguably, some lifestyles deserve to be holistically abolished without contemplation.

     Come to think of it, why would Nigeria be invariably reckoned to be a place where such uncalled and unwarranted practices are ostensibly acceptable or a step in the right direction? Rather than protecting the interests of their clients, these banks and telecom firms prefer to unleash on them villainy, as if they are mere slaves.

    
Incessant deductions often reportedly attributed to VAT, SMS alert charges, ATM service interests, monthly fees, and what have you, constantly and consistently made by the commercial banks on their clients’ accounts have become so worrisome that if left unchecked, one may wake up one morning to observe that about 95% of the total money in his/her bank account had been debited from it.

     On their part, the telecom companies would always make use of imposition mechanism to actualize their dubious motive. In most cases, their customers would be taken unawares as regards subscribing to a certain tariff or promo as if the airtime on their SIM cards weren’t purchased by them. A situation where someone would buy a #100 airtime and all the money would instantly vanish into thin air, really and absolutely calls for a public outcry.

    
The aforementioned callous and villainous attitudes of most firms operating in Nigeria, which are to say the least very appalling and thought-provoking, have become a case study to hundreds of thousands of researchers in the country. It’s indeed pertinent to acknowledge that Nigerians at large are seriously suffering in the hands of those they patronize. How would you reconcile this?

    
This lingering impunity has made many concerned stakeholders in Nigeria to insinuate that the country lacks competent and reliable regulatory bodies. Of course, in a situation like this, embracing such speculation wouldn’t be far-fetched. We are all aware that each commercial bank and telecom firm in this nation is answerable to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) respectively, as well as the Consumers’ Protection Council (CPC). But what the people aren’t aware is if the said relationship is really being upheld.

    
The other day I overheard an official of the CPC who played guest on a particular radio programme, saying that the major problem with Nigerians was inability to report to appropriate authorities whenever they are aggrieved or witch-hunted. Consequently, via a phone call, I retaliated by asking her (the official) why they would always wait for the public or consumers to lay a complaint before they take action, even in a situation where the commission or any of its members happened to be one of the victims/sufferers of the ordeal, or when the unbearable circumstance is very glaring.

     So, if a police officer, for instance, happens to be in a commercial bus and therein one of the passengers is accused of theft or was caught stealing, the said security personnel instead of arresting the accused person or doing the needful headlong would expect other passengers in the bus to come over to the police station to lay a complaint before he would take the action expected of him? I’m just thinking aloud, but every sane individual needs to think about it.

     It’s high time we awoke from our respective slumbers with a view to living up to the expectation. Any firm or person accused of any foul play or punishable offence ought to be brought to book by collective effort of the apt authorities having acquired the needed evidence for the prosecution. For crying out very loud, the consumers cannot continually be treated like nobody by these legitimate consortiums. Think about it!

·         Comr Nwaozor - Researcher, Blogger, Analyst and Activist, is the Founder, Fred Nwaozor Foundation (FRENOF) based in Owerri.