House of Representatives Expels ALTON Officials Over Poor Network Hearing

The House of Representatives in Nigeria removed representatives from the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) from a hearing on poor network quality on Wednesday. The lawmakers warned that any further unauthorized appearances could lead to detention.

This incident took place during a meeting of the House Ad Hoc Committee on Telecommunications Service Quality in Abuja. The committee was addressing ongoing complaints about the poor service provided by major telecom companies like MTN, Globacom, Airtel, and T2 Mobile. These companies did not send their chief executives to explain the issues.

Instead, ALTON officials attended the meeting, claiming to represent the telecom operators. They mentioned they were challenging the summons in court but chose to attend out of respect for the National Assembly. However, the committee rejected their presence, stating that the invitation was specifically for the individual companies, not their association.

The lawmakers emphasized that each telecom operator is independently responsible for its services and obligations to customers. This confrontation followed a previous directive from the House to issue arrest summons against the chief executives for not attending an earlier meeting.

Olumide Osoba, the committee’s chairman, expressed frustration over the telecom operators’ absence and highlighted the negative impact of poor service on businesses and essential services. He noted that many Nigerians have complained about dropped calls, unreliable internet, and disappearing data, which affect daily life and business operations.

Osoba also raised concerns about how poor telecommunications services could impact the upcoming 2027 general elections, as many electoral processes rely on effective communication networks. He assured the public that the investigation would continue until the telecom companies provide satisfactory explanations and solutions to the ongoing issues.

The committee plans to reconvene next week, hoping the chief executives will finally attend. If they continue to ignore the summons, the House may take further action to enforce its authority.