Telecom users demand research on health implications of masts, towers

Port Harcourt – The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has been urged to conduct a local research on the health implications of erecting masts and towers in residential areas.

The call was made on Thursday in Port Harcourt at the 69th edition of the Telecoms Consumer Parliament with the theme: “ Telecom Masts and towers: A Necessity of Nuisance’’.

Most consumers who spoke at the event raised concerns about the health implications of erecting mobile telephony masts and towers in residential areas.

Mr Kelvin Ewerem, an electrical engineer, urged the commission not to base its argument about the harmlessness of such installations on researches conducted elsewhere.

He said Nigerians residing near the installations should be used in such researches for them to be valid.

“Nigerians still fear that they are unsafe staying around masts and towers, NCC should do a research looking at the possible effects on the residents over a period of time.

“First, study the current health status of the people and come back after five or 10 years to re-access the situation, then we will be sure of the result,’’ he said.

Another consumer, Charles Nmegbu,  decried the proliferation of masts and towers around major cities in the country.

He said it was out of tune with the current trend in modern telecommunications.

In his speech, Mr Okechukwu Itanyi, NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, said that telecom masts and towers were not harmful to human health.

Itanyi, who was represented by a commissioner in NCC, Dr Mike Onyia, urged consumers to be more concerned with the effects of their cell phones instead of masts and towers.

“No scientific study has shown that masts and towers are harmful, instead we have results showing that keeping mobile phones close to our ears for long is harmful,’’ he said.

He said the increase in the number of masts in the country was due to the upsurge in the number of telecom subscribers.(NAN)