it is no longer news that residents of Abuja yesterday had their telephone service cut off abruptly for several hours without prior warning, belated apology or planned compensation.

Well I am sure before the phone service in Abuja was cut off yesterday someone must have advised the authorities that it was illegal to do so. But I can almost hear the response: "Abeg cut the damn service jare, who cares whether it is illegal or not? what can they do?" That is the story of our lives, unfortunately!!!

Just recently people were blasting the emir of kano for telling off Sambo when he arrived several hours late. How dare an ordinary emir talk to a whole VP like that?

I am sure people will now say that anything done by FG is justified for security reasons. Is it really?

I fear that as people all over the world are fighting more and more for their rights, Nigerians are fighting more and more for servitude.

Can someone please sue the FG for blocking phone services in Abuja? Take a cue from this recent event in Egypt: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13585237

if it was for national security and the greater good, then no problems.

It wz based on security level
we shld atleast understand dat
m sure if it wz nt so smth wld prolly had happened

snowdrops:

if it was for national security and the greater good, then no problems.  

Hmmm

i would rather my phone was blocked for a couple of hours that a hundred maybe a thousand people were massacred by some faceless cowards.

I hope no bi Ch-in-ko Phone phenomena?

No wonder, I thought the world had ended a few days later than scheduled .; after rolling out my personal arsenal of all available lines only Visafone worked. Kudos to them. Na now I know say phone dey important.

snowdrops:

i would rather my phone was blocked for a couple of hours that a hundred maybe a thousand people were massacred by some faceless cowards.

Okay fair enough, on the surface your argument sounds reasonable or even justifiable. But lets reason together.

In the first instance, I do not think there was an imminent threat that warranted the action. It must have been guess work or a random idea from some smart guy. If it was otherwise, believe me you would have heard so by now. Nigerian security forces cannot catch a rogue fly if their lives depended on it.

Even if there was a threat, there are very civil ways to deal with these issues. Treat Nigerians with respect by informing them, apologising for inconveniences, e.t.c. I don't even want to give examples from other countries about how servant leaders treat their citizens with utmost respect and sense of accountability.

Third, even if the decision was right, justified, etc, seeking legal interpretation and challenging FG (leaders) helps to keep them on their toes and makes them think twice before doing anything rash. But pretending dumb only encourages impunity and bad, unaccountable mastership.

From a legal point of view:

If you have a 'Service Agreement Contract' or similar with the FG then go and sue.

If you dont then you need to 'Go Chill' because you have no 'legal' case against them.

some improvised explosive device [IED] work based on mobile phone technology. scrambling phone network would prevent any such bombs setting off.

Sun of god:

From a legal point of view:

If you have a 'Service Agreement Contract' or similar with the FG then go and sue.

If you dont then you need to 'Go Chill' because you have no 'legal' case against them.

Did you watch the inauguration yesterday?

The president and vice held holy books and entered a 'Service Agreement Contract' on behalf of FG with all Nigerians.

Or what do you think? You think the FG is a sort of semi-god that can do whatever without being accountable?

snowdrops:

some improvised explosive device [IED] work based on mobile phone technology. scrambling phone network would prevent any such bombs setting off.

I know but that does not address any of my concerns!!!!!

snowdrops:

i would rather my phone was blocked for a couple of hours that a hundred maybe a thousand people were massacred by some faceless cowards.

you do have a bit of a point but what about other situations that can result in danger to life and property due to lack of mobile service? you can only begin to appreciate how important the mobile phone has become to the Nigerian society when you spend an hour without network service. just imagine a woman alone at home that's about to go into labor, how d'you expect her to get someone to help her get to the hospital. there are other situations like that that can crop up. the least the FG could do was to inform the residents of Abuja before doing such a thing

real4life:

Did you watch the inauguration yesterday?

The president and vice held holy books and entered a 'Service Agreement Contract' on behalf of FG with all Nigerians.

Or what do you think? You think the FG is a sort of semi-god that can do whatever without being accountable? 

Its something you take up with your mobile phone service provider.

They are the ones that provide the service and they are the ones you pay for use of the service - Not the FG.

If indeed they did cut services on instruction from the FG it wasn't done for nothing. They would have been paid as they stand to loose revenue and goodwill.

If anything, they are the ones that you could sue - but definitely not the FG.

real4life:

Okay fair enough, on the surface your argument sounds reasonable or even justifiable. But lets reason together.

In the first instance, I do not think there was an imminent threat that warranted the action. It must have been guess work or a random idea from some smart guy. If it was otherwise, believe me you would have heard so by now.

You sound so sure of that.

Nigerian security forces cannot catch a rogue fly if their lives depended on it.

Even if there was a threat, there are very civil ways to deal with these issues. Treat Nigerians with respect by informing them, apologising for inconveniences, e.t.c.

That I strongly agree with.

Third, even if the decision was right, justified, etc, seeking legal interpretation and challenging FG (leaders) helps to keep them on their toes and makes them think twice before doing anything rash. But pretending dumb only encourages impunity and bad, unaccountable mastership.

Who will bell the cat?

real4life:

I know but that does not address any of my concerns!!!!!

My friend go and sue dem urself and stop waitin for sumbody to do dat for u.Atleast sum one here hs bn kind and intelligent enough to giv ur du.mb brain d possible reason why they had to jam d networks yetaday and yet u r stil rantin and pantin like a mad dog.May be probably u wuld hv luvd wat happened on independence day to repeat itself,yeye fo.ol like u**hiss**

Hmmm

@Poster, if you dey Nigeria, why not go a step further with this and actually sue please.

@Poster:
Unfortunately, you can not sue the FG. Not that you are wrong, but because every (FG and Nigerians) will can you are an enemy of progress, hidden agenda and every other yeye name. Just have a look at FG setting up a committee of inquiry on a matter that by the constitution of Nigeria, the FG have no such power, rather the state. Dare say a word and they will "eat" you up.

Now tell me why lawlessness, crime, politicians, Bankole and others will not go free with awards to their CV?

Sue Fed Govt for what crime?

Sue them for saving life of innocent is that a crime

Sue them for silent the silly blood sucking vampire that was let loose on the street to suck human blood??

Please sue them for what plsssssssssssssssssssss?

Dont understand what a hell that word Sue stand here for

Anyone planning on suing the FG should prepare for a drawn out protracted legal nightmare, that was probably what the architects of yesterday's phone service denial were most likely banking on. Who has the time and funds to take on such an entity?

For now such acts of arrogance - all of which are covered under the blanket of national security- should continue to be recorded and reported to the general public, eventually someone equipped with the necessary means will take on the FG and bring them to account for their actions.

i hate it wen pipo try to prove they are smart, sometimes we complain abt d sensless nature of govt,but most times we are nt so different. Hope u remebr it was dis same fg that brought gsm to dis country? Even If they decided to switch it off for one week because they dnt wnat ur mother or sister or brother to be killed in fct, i tink u shud send them gifts for preservin d lifes of ur loved ones, olosi.

Being proactive in terms of national security is a positive development to ensure that lives are not lost senselessly.
However, the FG was not right by not informing residents of this imminent measure so people can plan for it.
Imagine if you had a visitor coming out of town who is a stranger and depended on the phone network to get in touch when in town.
The vistor would have been stranded, but if there was an information on this switch off to ensure that security was maintained during the ceremonies, people would have planned ahead.

What am I saying in the nutshell, FG messed up by not "informing" residents of this positive measure.
However, if you want to sue, it should be the GSM companies not FG.

Abuja residents have suffered so much for all this security hullabo stuff, starting from blocking of all major roads in the town whenever events are holding in Eagle Square. May be it is high time these events are taken inside the villa or moved to National Stadium, where security can easily be maintained rather than taking the poor masses through untold hardship

I hope the companies will be compensated and they in turn compensate us.
Thank God the internet servcies were working during this switch off period

go ahead jare mr poster

All you guys screaming for the heads of people against the jamming--- Accept that FG is trying to be preemptive and possible preventive.  What is wrong with a forewarning to get people living around the area prepared?  It was never an emergency, it was pre meditated.  We deserve apology, even if it is belated! FG has wronged us. Some businesses have suffered, some have exams, tests, flight, bank transfers, calls etc that were slated for that period without the knowledge of the blockage. Just because we love GEJ does not mean we should not tell him when he has done wrong. I am sure if Gani Fawehinmi were to be alive he would have tested this in law court.

Poster have any reason to feel bad just like any other abuja residence. the FG does not have the right to treat people with such impunity. the least it would have done was to inform people or subtly pass it out as a rumour so people will make alternative arrangement for emergencies. imagine what ould have been if a woman was in labour, home alone and couldnt use her phone to contact anyone or an accident victim who could still make a call to indicate where he fell into a ditch or some worse scenario.

i believe strongly that the phone companies make a kill from this and should in turn compensate any claims by any agrieved abuja resident. the phone companies are in business and must have been paid either in cash or kind for almost a 12hour block out of their services to users.

GEJ can do wrong. lets learn to fight for our right. even if poster end up not getting any compensation, atleast let it be on record that someone has complained, knows his right and you can be sure FG will be cautious embarking on such subsequently.

enamaye:

i hate it wen pipo try to prove they are smart, sometimes we complain abt d sensless nature of govt,but most times we are nt so different. Hope u remebr it was dis same fg that brought gsm to dis country? Even If they decided to switch it off for one week because they dnt wnat your mother or sister or brother to be killed in fct, i tink u shud send them gifts for preservin d lifes of your loved ones, olosi.

HaHaHa. Seriously this made me laugh because it illustrates exactly what I am talking about.

Following your logic, then please start begging the FG to ban driving on federal roads because the roads are in a terrible state so that nobodies mother or father will die again. Please get on your knees and beg FG to close all their banks so that armed robbers will not kill any innocent Nigerian again. And don't forget to prostrate and beg the FG to switch off power from the national grid so that olosis ^^ like you will not hug transformer and die.

Seriously I think all Nigerians should be forced back to school to study Rights of Citizens 101, and Duties of FG 111. For a simple personal experience, I (and hundreds of other tenants) once got paid equivalent of about 200,000 Naira because the government (not nigerian) was building a library (for public good) close to residences. The money came with a letter of apology and asked us to please accept the little compensation for the noise pollution that we were suffering.

.

bisiaet:

Sue Fed Govt for what crime?

Sue them for saving life of innocent is that a crime

Sue them for silent the silly blood sucking vampire that was let loose on the street to suck human blood??

Please sue them for what plsssssssssssssssssssss?

Dont understand what a hell that word Sue stand here for

If I take 50,000 Naira of your money and buy you one big spicy chicken. Well you might enjoy the chicken but I wonder if you will be thanking me after that or suing me.

So how many ordinary Nigerians were even allowed close to the venue? They were protecting themselves not you or me.

How about the remaining 364 days of the year? Are they better days to die or what concrete steps are being taken to protect Nigerians now that the Billion naira ceremony is over?

@OP

If you have money to waste, go and sue. It will be an exersice in futility and you might end up (rightfully so too) under SSS spotlight.
I was at London Bridge when the bombs went off in the tube, we were ushered out of the station without the slightest apology or reason and the station closed immediately. [size=14pt]Once outside, phones did not work[/size]. And it was so for the better part of one day (again, without apology or reason), when services did come back, they were patchy and more useless than anything available in Nigeria right up until the next day. My family heard about the blasts, but could not get in touch with me to know if I was caught up in them.
. . .The long and short is, not one person sued govt. It is hard to even imagine a British person doing that, such a person would become public enemy number one and need police protection, cos people will think they are Al Qaeda apologists.

Some Nigerians come up with their funny positions either out of the need to show off or out of an inate wickedness. Govt shut down phone services to save lives, if you think that action was wrong or lives are expendable just so your phone works, then sue the govt, its your right (albeit one too foolish to contemplate).

You don't know what you are talking about or your money comes too easy.

gross irresponsibility by the GEJ administration

people could have literally died during the inauguration

case in point - a friends mother passed away yesterday in lagos , unexpectedly, and only her last born son was at home.

imagine if that had been in abuja; no one would have been able to contact anyone else

a person in an accident,  a person in an emergency; the common nigerians as usual suffering because of the incompetence of this administration and the eediots who should have been sacked a hundred times over in its employ - the likes of ringim and our "i cant work in the rain"sss

let the usual apologists keep justifying this behavior which is reminiscent of the abacha years and the deposed arab leaders who shut down the internet in the name of 'national security'

how soon before newspapers become a threat to national security?

bunch of good for nothings and their tacit admission of incompetence

i guess the closest GEJ will ever come to filling obamas shoes is wearing a tuxedo

maybe those twats who defended the expensive inauguration with obama comparisons will tell us if Washington's telecoms were shut down during obamas inauguration

Beaf:

@OP

If you have money to waste, go and sue. It will be an exersice in futility and you might end up (rightfully so too) under SSS spotlight.
I was at London Bridge when the bombs went off in the tube, we were ushered out of the station without the slightest apology or reason and the station closed immediately. [size=14pt]Once outside, phones did not work[/size]. And it was so for the better part of one day, when services did come back, they were patchy and more useless than anything available in Nigeria right up until the next day. My family heard about the blasts, but could not get in touch with me to know if I was caught up in them.
. . .The long and short is, not one person sued govt. It is hard to even imagine a British person doing that, such a person would become public enemy number one and need police protection, cos people will think they are Al Qaeda apologists.

Some Nigerians come up with their funny positions either out of the need to show off or out of an inate wickedness. Govt shut down phone services to save lives, if you think that action was wrong or lives are expendable just so your phone works, then sue the govt, its your right (albeit one too foolish to contemplate).

You don't know what you are talking about or your money comes too easy.

the usual incoherent gibberish from the chief gej apologist

please tell us if a planned inauguration is the same thing as a sudden unexpected terrorist attack

does this mean that gong forward, we should expect phone blackouts whenever gej is anywhere in nigeria?

should we be surprised that you always trumpet the SS behaving in ways synonymous with the gaddafi you were lambasting the other day?

keep it up. your fingers will soon fall off from typing inanities to defend the incompetence of fresh air