Mr Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), has called for punitive action against vandals wreaking havoc on telecommunications base stations.
Adebayo said this during the seventh edition of the Policy Implementation Assisted Forum (PIAFo) Summit in Lagos on Friday.
The theme of the event is: “Strengthening Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure through Proactive Implementation and Strategic Coordination”.
He said that these malicious individuals had been disrupting and stealing from these critical infrastructure hubs, compromising the nation’s communication networks.
According to him, any vandal found tempering with the telecommunications infrastructure should be prosecuted and awarded a jail term.
Citing an example, Adebayo said: “In England, if you crash into a telecommunications pole while driving, the state prosecutes the offender, not the telecoms provider.
“This highlights the seriousness of damaging public infrastructure, which can result in significant penalties, including imprisonment.”
The ALTON boss stressed the need to apply a similar approach to protecting Nigeria’s Critical National Infrastructure (CNI).
He emphasised the need for a united front against these vandals, who were not only harming the telecommunications industry but also undermining the country’s economic growth and development.
Adebayo noted that as the telecommunications industry continued to play a vital role in Nigeria’s economic development, it was imperative that the government took decisive action against the vandals, who not only damage but steal batteries and generators at base stations.
He added that by doing so, goverment would not only be protecting the industry’s infrastructure but also ensuring the continued provision of essential communication services to the Nigerian people.
Highlighting the importance of deterrence, Adebayo explained that if there were no significant consequences for people’s actions, the country would not make any progress in the area of CNI.
According to him, the current lack of effective prosecution has led to a culture of impunity, with individuals and organisations feeling they could damage public infrastructure without facing consequences.
He emphasised the need for stakeholders to work together to develop and implement effective protection plans, including the prosecution of offenders.
Adebayo also called for the establishment of clear legal frameworks for deterrence, prosecution, and enforcement.
On his part, Tony Emoekpere, President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), said the association needed a national plan to implement a CNI protection plan, which could be realised through collaboration among all stakeholders.
Highlighting the importance of enforcement, Emoekpere noted that stakeholders needed to identify the civil authority that would be responsible for enforcing the CNI protection plan.
Emoekpere suggested that the civil defence corps could play a key role in patrolling base stations and other critical infrastructure.
He said that mapping critical infrastructure nationwide was an important strategy in identifying the location, assets and the protection needed.
“The CNI will not become passive while trying to pass messages or get needs met from the government, as the infrastructure is necessary for communication, the “ATCON boss said.
Also, Emoekpere emphasised the need for budgeting and funding for the CNI implementation framework and protection plan.
He added that the funding approach should ensure the resilience of the infrastructure to threats and hazards and support the protection plan implementation.
