THE Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed all mobile operators to immediately reactivate all lines they disconnected over the weekend.
The NCC gave the directive in a statement signed by the Director of Media and Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, on Monday, July 29.
The commission claimed consumers are its priority, noting that there was a limited time available for consumers to verify their National Identity Numbers (NINs) with their Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs).
It, however, noted that the reactivation was only for a limited period to allow the consumers to properly link their NIN to their SIM.
The ICIR reports that many telecom subscribers/consumers were unable to access their phone lines, particularly MTN, because of their inability to link their NINs with their SIMs.
Consequently, the aggrieved subscribers early today, Monday, besieged MTN offices across the country to express their frustration and disappointment over the development.
It would be recalled that the NCC issued an order for the compulsory linkage of NIN with SIMs in December 2020 when the federal government directed telecommunication companies to block unregistered SIM cards and those not linked to NIN.
Since then, many Nigerians have had difficulty linking their lines.
The line blockage came to Nigerians as a surprise at the weekend, with many attributing it as one of the plots by the government to disrupt the planned nationwide protest scheduled for August 1.
But the NCC said July 31 had been set as the deadline for the blockage, long before the protest was planned.
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