The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has said it may audit telecom operators’ systems and examine account records as complaints of unexplained data depletion continue to grow among subscribers.

The Director of Corporate Affairs of the FCCPC, Ondaje Ijagwu, stated this during an interview on Business Daily, a Trust TV programme.

Ijagwu said the commission was concerned that many consumers were reporting rapid depletion of data bundles without understanding the cause.

“The fact that consumers are complaining and do not know exactly what the problem is, is an issue of concern to us,” he said.

He explained that telecom operators had a responsibility to educate consumers on their billing systems and investigate complaints brought before them.

According to him, where complaints warrant further scrutiny, the commission could request audits of operators’ systems and examine account records to determine what happened.

“If indeed consumers suffer data depletion in a manner that cannot be explained, the operator needs to investigate and know why that is happening,” he added.

Ijagwu said the commission relies on evidence before taking action and does not presume that operators are at fault.

“We do not prejudge operators and neither is there a presumption of guilt. We work with evidence,” he noted.

He explained that while widespread complaints could point to broader consumer concerns, individual complaints remain important for investigations.

“We want to see the actual complaint. If a consumer purchased data and believes it was depleted unfairly, we can call for records, audit the system and determine what happened,” he explained.

Ijagwu said some cases of rapid data depletion could be linked to background downloads or other activities consuming data without the user’s knowledge, adding that each complaint must be examined on its merits.

He urged consumers to formally report grievances rather than merely complain about them.

“Consumers grumble much more than they complain,” he said.

He added that consumers who fail to obtain redress from service providers could escalate their complaints to the commission.

Ijagwu said the FCCPC had resolved more than 9,000 consumer complaints across about 35 sectors and secured over N10 billion in refunds and compensation for affected consumers.

He explained that the complaints were spread across sectors including telecommunications, banking, electricity and fast-moving consumer goods.

The FCCPC official rejected suggestions that recurring consumer complaints pointed to regulatory failure.

“It is not a failure of regulation and it is not that enforcement is compromised,” he said.

On calls for pay television subscribers to be allowed to pay only for channels they watch, Ijagwu said greater competition in the sector could help drive such changes.

“What Nigerians should be canvassing is more competition in the sector,” he added. (Daily Trust)