The Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu has said the Federal Government did not give the National Communication Commission (NCC) an order to increase data tariff.

The NCC had announced a review of data tariff at 0.90k/MB taken effect from December 1.

However, Shittu while speaking on Raypower said the NCC must have taken the decision due to other reasons different from politics.

“There are reasons for what they have done. The reasons, I’m sure, will not be political; the reason will be more of logistics and all of that and as you have requested me to do I will do that,” Shittu said.

“But I want to say that I was not privy to it, I was not party to it. Government never gave any such instruction and the government, as the representative of the people, have never done that; that the voice of Nigerians must not be muscled.

“This government came into the democratic process and it has a duty to continue to protect the interest of Nigerians and I can assure you, we will do that and we will do theneedful in protecting the rights and privileges of Nigerians.”

He also said telecoms companies have been warned to desist from sending unsolicited messages to customers.

“About 6 months ago I had cause to invite all the telecom operators and virtually read the riot act to them. If that has not been done I can assure you it will be done. We are concerned about the interest of Nigerians,” he said.

“We are concerned that Nigerians should not be taken for ride. As the minister of communications, I’m also a victim just like every other Nigerian. I also suffer the same fate as telecom operators, so let me assure you that we will redouble our efforts to curtail the excesses of the telecom operators.”

Azeez