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Tag: MTN

  • N1.8b suit: ‘How MTN denied ex-manager his entitlements’

    N1.8b suit: ‘How MTN denied ex-manager his entitlements’

    • Court summons ex-CEO Wood

    The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NIC) has ordered a former Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria Communications Limited, Adrian Wood to appear before it to testify in a suit by MTN’s former Network Group Operation Manager, Paul Odunewu, an engineer.

    The court also issued a subpoena on Sifiso Dabengwa, an expatriate worker of the telco based in South Africa.

    Odunewu is demanding N1.8billion for alleged wrongful termination of his contract by MTN.

    MTN Group Limited, South Africa; MTN Nigeria and MTN International, Mauritius are the other defendants in the matter.

    He accused the telco of withholding his entitlements, including a share option worth over $13.14 million (about N2.1 billion).

    A former Chief Technical Officer of MTN Nigeria,  Ademola Eleso, while testifying at the trial, accused MTN of deceiving its workers.

    He said MTN lured Odunewu, a renown telecoms engineer based abroad, to work for it in Nigeria, promising to make him a shareholder, only to end up withdrawing the offer.

    Eleso said he hired Odunewu on MTN’s behalf. He told MTN’s Human Resources (HR) Department that for Odunewu to be happy to join the company and stay, he should be entitled to long-term incentive package. The witness said he also told Odunewu that his position would be key.

    According to him, in the early days of MTN’s operations, there was a “strategic imperative” to employ high cadre candidates who would help the company grow in all facets.

    “I was asked to help source for such people and make sure they came to MTN Nigeria and not Econet because of competition.

    “In recognition of that, it was understood that certain employees would necessarily have extra-ordinary remuneration package and stock option in order to make MTN an attractive proposition for the candidates of which CW1 (Odunewu) was one and that was my discussion with HR,” he said.

    Eleso said Odunewu later complained to him that the share option was not specified in his appointment letter, adding that there were other workers whose letters did not contain it.

    “The HR verbally communicated to the staff that when the company is well established, they would be eligible to the stock option,” he said.

    Eleso insisted that Odunewu was entitled to the share option even though it was not all employees who were entitled to the scheme.

    “MTN did not honour its part and MTN has been deceitful,” he said, adding that he encouraged Odunewu to join the company in the hope that MTN would honour its promise.

    To show that some workers were deceived, Eleso said some of the workers who were promised the incentive along with Odunewu, were eventually given, while others were omitted.

    He said other people who did not originally have the stock option later had theirs processed, but Odunewu was inexplicably ignored.

    Eleso said the claimant “did contribute to the value of creation of the group and MTN extracted all the benefit from him and withheld the reward of the share option.”

    Odunewu, in his claim, said he worked at MTN for over four years, and was responsible for the network’s outstanding achievements, which continues till date.

    The former manager said he was responsible for the company’s pre-paid and post-paid revenue, subscription, voucher management and real-time charging.

    He said: “I built the engine of the defendant’s business in Nigeria including people, process and technology.”

    He said his superiors began an “onslaught” against him because  they suddenly became “disturbed that a Nigerian could possess such incredible experience and exposure…”

    Matters, he said, got to a head when he received a letter dated February 28, 2006 purportedly terminating his appointment; his access to the MTN network as a staff was revoked and he was ejected from his official quarters.

    Odunewu claimed that the contract termination contradicted clauses of his agreement with MTN.

    But MTN denied the claims, saying Odunewu’s contract was of limited duration and was due to terminate on December 12, 2003.

    MTN said: “The letter of offer of employment with the second defendant expressly warned against any expectation of continued employment, nor was it ever at any time suggested to the claimant that he was to be made or had been made a permanent employee of the second defendant or any of the defendants.

    “In the circumstances, claimant knew and expected, or ought to have known and expected that his employment was not a long-term or permanent appointment, and that the same was also liable to be determined within 60 days of the receipt of written notice.”

    MTN has also objected to the subpoena issued to Wood and Dabengwa, saying no reasonable ground exists for their issuance.

    “The subpoena seeks to adduce oral evidence to vary the terms of an agreement that has been reduced into writing,” the defendants said.

  • MTN donates car to UI don

    Surprise took the centre stage at  the University of Ibadan (UI) when MTN Nigeria donated a brand new KIA Cereno to Prof Anthony Durojaiye Ologhobo of the Department of Animal Science of the institution.

    This, according to the telecoms giant, is in appreciation of the don’s diligence, moral rectitude and the fatherly role to his students.

    Earlier in the year, MTN called on undergraduates, to participate in its ‘Surprise Your Professor’ campaign, an off-shoot of the company’s ‘Season of Surprises’, by nominating any of their lecturers who has influenced them in positively.

    Last Thursday, MTN’s team, led by its General Manager, Regional Operations, Lagos/Southwest, Mrs Fehintola Mustapha in company of hip-hop artiste, Dr Sid, stormed the UI campus for the donation.

    Some of the students, who nominated Ologhobo, also got iPhones from MTN. A Postgraduate student, Femi Taiwo and Okunhoya Bishop received  iPhone 6 from MTN.

    An elated Ologhobo said: “This is a gift from the Almighty God. I was not expecting anything from MTN. I was only told to come and present some gifts to my students. I don’t know how to explain this. This is a great surprise and I am eternally grateful to MTN for this gesture. I equally use this opportunity to call on other corporate bodies to promote academic excellence, and reward the moral rectitude of deserving dons. This is an encouragement for all of us at the University of Ibadan, to put our best into whatever we are doing.”

    General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN, Richard Iweanoge, said:  “A professor, within an educational structure represents an icon; they touch lives in meaningful ways.’’

     

     

     

    When they do their work, they do it selflessly, but many forget that they change and improve lives in positive ways.

    “Students move on and become very important people in the society, but they were molded and guided by teachers. In view of this, we beckoned on students all over the country to nominate for a pleasant surprise, that professor, whose teaching, character and disposition have had a great impact on their lives and career”.

    Nominations for Ologhobo were overwhelming, and MTN offered him a brand new car, for his contributions to the numerous students.

    It would recalled that MTN donated a brand new KIA Cereno to Prof Harrison Oloruntade Longe of the University of Lagos.

  • MTN provides succour for xenophobic attacks victims

    MTN provides succour for xenophobic attacks victims

    MTN Nigeria yesterday said it has provided financial support to the transit camps where victims of xenophobic attacks in South Africa are being resettled.

    It said the attacks were needless.

    Its Corporate Services Executive, Akinwale Goodluck, who spoke with reporters at the company’s head office, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos, said the carrier condemned the attacks, saying they lacked justifications in the modern age.

    He said though the attacks were limited to certain parts of the country, they were nonetheless symptomatic of poverty, illiteracy, stressing that MTN was concerned not because of its business but largely because of the fatalities that had occasioned the lawlessness.

    Goodluck, who spoke against the backdrop of inciting postings on social media platform urging reprisal attacks, said there was no basis for such a call, arguing that MTN Nigeria is a Nigerian business with about 98 per cent of its workforce being Nigerians beginning from its Chief Executive Officer, Michael Ipkoki.

    According to him, only about 12 expatriate workers draw their pay cheques from MTN Nigeria while over 6,000 Nigerians are employed as permanent workers while about one million others support the value chain, eking out their living form the telco.

    Goodluck said the carrier, which supports businesses such as the financial institutions, has invested $15 billion over the past one decade to build infrastructure  and expended another N10 billion on its corporate social responsibility (CSR) through the MTN Foundation that has supported providing health services to complement government’s efforts.

    In terms of support to the economy, the telco which has over 60 million subscribers said it is the second largest tax payer to the Federal Government only next to the multinational oil companies.

  • Xenophobic attacks: Protesters picket MTN office in Edo

    Business activities at the headquarters of telecommunication giant, the MTN, were on Monday paralyzed when some youths under the aegis of the Flagship protested xenophobic killings in South Africa.

    The protesters barricaded entrance to MTN office along Murtala Mohammed Way in Benin City as early as 7:00am.

    Placards carried by the protesters had inscriptions such as “Xenophobia is ‎Inhuman,” “Zuma Call Your Boys to Order,” “South Africans can’t be making money from us and be Killing us,” “Nigerians boycott South Africa companies.”

    Spokesperson for the protesters, Austin Enabulele, said the protest was a warning to South Africa government to put a stop to the attacks on Nigerians or risk losing its foreign investments.

    Enabulele said the attack on foreigners by South Africans was inhuman and condemnable.

    He said, “We are all Africans. We wonder why they should attack our fellow Nigerians who are doing their legitimate businesses in South Africa, when we have shown them love to operate in Nigeria.

    “We have come here to say to (President Jacob) Zuma to call his people to order because if he fails to call them to order we will do the needful. We are aware of all their businesses in Nigeria. We know of MTN, we know of Shoprite; we know of Multichoice Company and we know of every other companies that belong to South Africa.

    “We will shut down all their services if they continue the killing of our brothers and sisters. So, we have come here to tell them to put an end to the killing of our brothers and sisters who are doing their legitimate jobs in South Africa,” he said.

    Vice President of the group, Gloria Noren‎, said South Africans were not showing gratitude for the financial support from Nigeria during the apartheid era.

    She said, “We have videos of Nigerians that have been killed, I personally watched the video.‎ How can someone come out to say that we are taking their jobs from them? What about the money they are making from us?

    “Nigeria spent over N60 billion fighting apartheid for them. Why should we extend love to them and they extend hatred to us. It is totally inhuman, distasteful, it is disgusting.

    “We are sending this message to ‎our Nigerian government to go ahead and retrieve all Nigerians from South Africa because we cannot keep losing our brethren.”

  • MTN mulls outsourcing stores

    MTN mulls outsourcing stores

    • May axe 800 jobs

    MTN Group Ltd. Has agreed to outsource its retail operations to Brightstar Corporation and 800 jobs may be affected as it seeks to cut costs, according to a source close to the carrier.

    MTN, which has more than 220 million subscribers in 22 countries including Nigeria and other African countries and the Middle East, has axed jobs in South Africa to reduce costs. The carrier is also trying to boost sales to corporate customers to compete with Vodacom Group Ltd., the country’s market leader in terms of subscriber numbers.

    Under the deal, Brightstar will take on management of the mobile-phone company’s chain of shops selling handsets and services in its home country, South Africa and may take on some of the MTN staff, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the contract has yet to be announced. Miami-based Brightstar will also operate most of Johannesburg-based MTN’s distribution and logistics operations in the country, building on a services agreement signed with the continent’s biggest wireless operator in 2011.

    Erik Hofmeyer, a spokesman for closely held Brightstar, declined to comment when contacted by phone, referring questions to MTN..

    South African revenue declined 3.9 per cent to 38.9 billion rand ($3.2 billion) last year after the communications regulator cut the amount MTN and Vodacom can charge smaller competitors to end calls on their networks. That compared with a 6.4 per cent gain in total sales to 146 billion rand.

  • MTN launches proposition for Christian subscribers

    MTN launches proposition for Christian subscribers

    As part of its effort to ensure that its Christian subscribers get connected to their faith on daily basis, especially during the Lenten period,  MTN has rolled out various life-enriching and spirit-filled Christian Value Added Services (VAS) offerings.

    These offerings according to MTN will enable Christian faithful have easy access to daily devotionals, Bible quotes, children prayers, sermons, songs, prayers, prayer points, hymns, callertunez and other spiritually uplifting content, that will keep them connected to their faith on a daily basis.

    Its Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Olubayo Adekanmbi, explained in a statement that the strategic crux of the initiative is aimed at uplifting and encouraging subscribers to get closer to God through the company’s bold new digital Christian VAS.

    He said: “We are committed to the total well-being of our customers as we strive to make their lives better through our propositions, products and value-added services.

    “The MTN Christian Service provides subscribers with life-changing prayers and prayer points from anointed men of God; prayers for children, inspirational messages from spiritual leaders, daily bible verses, praise and worship songs, hymns, Christian Callertunez and other spiritual-enriching contents to keep us in-tune with God every day. Subscribers can access these offerings by dialing 797 on their mobile phones and follow the voice prompt.”

    On its importance, Adekanmbi said: “This is a way of showing our commitment to our esteemed customers of Christian faith, by connecting them at this period of spiritual reflection and appreciation for the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the cross of Calvary (laying down his life for mankind).

    He went further to state that the company will continue to go the extra mile in providing exciting innovative initiatives geared at enhancing its customers’ whole new digital experience, while encouraging them to be better in their various fields of human endeavour.

    MTN Nigeria, last year sponsored 20 of its Christian subscribers across the country to Jerusalem on pilgrimage. This is as a result of their subscription to various MTN Christian services.

  • MTN donates patrol vans to Ekiti police

    The MTN Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of MTN Nigeria, has invested over N10 billion in executing various projects in 341 locations across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The Corporate Services Executive, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Akinwale Goodluck, disclosed this in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital while handing over five patrol vehicles to the state government to boost security.

    The five Toyota Hilux vehicles fully equipped with communication and security facilities were commissioned by Governor Ayo Fayose who promised to utilize the vehicles to boost security in the state.

    Goodluck said the gesture was MTN Foundation’s gesture to partner with the government to ensure security of life and property and create a safe business climate.

    He pointed out that the donation came under the MTN Foundation Security Support Project to collaborate with governments across the country to boost security.

    The MTN chief explained that security of life and property was critical to the growth and development of the state which should not be left to government alone.

    According to him, security is a major challenge not only in Nigeria but in West Africa which cannot be done by government alone but with collaboration with other stakeholders.

    Goodluck disclosed that through the previous phases of the initiative, the MTN Foundation had provided 115 fully-equipped security patrol vehicles with communication gadgets to 18 state governments and the FCT.

    States which benefited under the first phase were Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Delta, Imo, Kano, Katsina, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba and the FCT.

    Bayelsa, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Kogi, Ondo and Lagos benefited under the second phase while Ekiti, Abia, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, Kwara, Niger, Rivers, Sokoto and Zamfara benefited under the third phase.

    Speaking at the event, a Director of MTN Foundation, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, expressed concern over growing insecurity in the country.

    Adelusi-Adeluyi who was a one time Minister of Health described insecurity as a threat that must be tackled by all stakeholders.

    He said, “We are here to show our support for the state. We are aware of the security threat throughout the nation.

    “We have tried to make provisions to facilitate the work of security agencies”.

    Responding, Fayose expressed appreciation to the foundation for the gesture which he said was timely.

    He praised Adelusi-Adeluyi, Mr. Gbenga Oyebode and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Dele Adesina who were all present at the event as leading lights in corporate Nigeria.

    The governor noted that the intervention will enhance security and add value to development.

  • MTN Lagos Street Soccer: Teams’ registration closes Feb. 28

    MTN Lagos Street Soccer: Teams’ registration closes Feb. 28

    AS  the MTN Lagos Street Soccer enters season eight, registration for 2015 edition has commenced with huge turnout from the 57 LGs / LCDAs across the three categories of the tournament namely U-15, female and male categories. The competition continues to wax stronger, a veritable source of engagement and springboard for footballers to showcase their God given talents and live their dreams.

    It is against this backdrop that the Local Organising Committee (LOC) has fixed February 28 as the deadline for team registration.

    Season 8 would leverage on the successes of the competition since inauguration eight years ago and at same breath bring about improvement in the standard of organisation and tangible deliverables.

    According to the Executive Secretary of LOC, Deji Aladegbemi, underscored by the success of season seven, 2015 edition promises to be thrilling as more teams are ready to participate in the competition, especially from private and public schools in Lagos.

    In line with the administration’s commitment to grassroots and school sports development, the 2015 edition would strengthen the U-15 category in all ramifications as a sustainable and genuine platform for stimulating academics / sports.

    Screening U-15 division has commenced in earnest, which is in tandem with our quest for discouraging and eradicating age falsification.

  • MTN surprises Lagos don

    MTN surprises Lagos don

    For his consistency in the discharge of his diligence and professionalism, former Dean of Student Affairs, at the University of Lagos, Professor Harrison Oloruntade Longe has got a surprise gift of a brand new KIA car from MTN Nigeria.

    Professor Longe was among the University Dons that got nominated by their students during MTN’s Surprise a Profcall for entries in its campaign tagged: ‘Season of Surprises.’ The compelling story of how Longe used his office as Dean of Students Affairs, University of Lagos (UNILAG), to resolve students welfare issues ranging from accommodation to security, improved facilities and many more, stood him out as the most deserving Unilag Don to be surprised.

    With the decision taken after a rigorous process of evaluation and selection, MTN’s management team led by General Manager, Consumer Marketing, Richard Iweanoge, stormed Unilag to reward the deserving Professor, who was kept in the dark about the development.

    The only thing ProfessorLonge knew about MTN’s presence on the campus prior to receiving the car that day was his being called upon to present gift items to some of his students who won iPhone 6. The students were given the presents for nominating their Professor in MTN’s Surprise a Prof.

    Shortly after the presenting the gifts to the students ProfessorLonge got the greatest shock of the day as he was announced the beneficiary of the star surprise of the day, a brand new 2014 KIA car.

    Obviously surprised by the turn of events in split of seconds, ProfessorLonge said: “This is the best gift I have ever received in my life. How will I explain this to my wife? How? They just told me that I have to come and present gifts to some of my students, and it turned out that I am now a proud owner of a brand new 2014 KIA car.”

  • MTN’s surprise gift for Best Lecturer

    For his selection as Best Lecturer of the Year by students of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Dr Baba Alafara of the Department of Industrial Chemistry got a surprise gift from MTN Nigeria. He was presented with a 7.5KVa generator by MTN in its season of surprise promo.

    The representative of the telecoms giant, who simply gave his name as Mr Sanmi, while presenting him the prize, said students were asked to nominate their best lecturer and the nomination was followed by online voting.

    Sanmi said the voting was done in different universities; three winners emerged from the draw in each university, with two students of the institutions also rewarded for being the best.

    While receiving the prize, Dr Alafara, who is also the Deputy Director of UNILORIN Central Research Laboratory, said the gift was a manifestation of the conducive environment created by the management for research and development.

    He said: “The gift will serve as a motivation for me and other lecturers to continue to give our best to students.”

    He hailed the mobile network firm for the gift, and praised the university administration and students who voted for him.

    Two students of the institution, Sunday Olubukola and David Samuel, both of the Department of Industrial Chemistry, were also rewarded with Iphone 6. They were chosen randomly in the draw.

    At the gift presentation are the President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), Ahmed Ishowo, his deputy, Titilope Anifowoshe and members of the union’s executive.