The Senate has on Tuesday, resolved to probe the status of the Fifth Generation (5G) network in the country. The decision to investigate the matter was sequel to a motion by Senator Uche Lilain Ekwunife . The Senate is concerned that the emissions from 5G towers could adversely affect the health of the citizenry thereby causing symptoms like damage of eyes, antibiotics resistance and other effects on the nervous and immune systems.
Furthermore, the Senate has urged the Federal Government to halt the launching of the network in the country till the technological impact on citizens would be carried out.
To carry out the investigation, the Senate mandated its committees on communications, science and technology, ICT and cybercrimes and that of health, to conduct a thorough examination to ascertain the status of 5G Network in Nigeria.
Ekwunife, in her motion Tagged “The present status of 5th generation (5G) Network in Nigeria,” is aimed at ensuring that Nigerian citizens are not exposed to an unreasonable risk of great bodily injury or harm.
She argued that “for the deployment of 5G network in urban areas, the providers have to install a radiating mobile communications antenna approximately every 100 meters, producing what has been described as a radiation tsunami and taking up to a 1000-fold increase in the transmission power.”
She stated that Several countries including Switzerland, one of the world’s leaders in the roll-out of 5G mobile technology, had placed an indefinite moratorium on the use of 5G network because of health concerns.
Lawmakers who contributed to the debate on the motion noted the recent statement credited to the Minister of Communications, Isah Pantami, to the effect that no licence has been granted for the operation of the 5G network in Nigeria.
The Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, in his contribution, said the motion is self explanatory and straightforward “which requires no further debate but for the prayer to be adopted”.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan, however, in his ruling, directed all the committees mandated to carry out the investigation to report back within 4 weeks
