Adoyi Ali: Why government MUST ban MTN over extreme exploitation

 

 

I have not had network on my blackberry for the past 4 days, and I’m contemplating smashing my MTN SIM into pieces. If that happens, I will never regard anybody who uses MTN as a serious person. Nigerians ‘no dey chop’ apologies, hence we do not need more from some alien exploiters. Some people say they are South-Africans, and I doubt their assertion. I doubt because it’s not normal for a citizen to be exploited by a foreigner in his own country, unless if they are backed by some selfish dudes back here or they are some neo-colonialists.  

I had thought that the exploitation of MTN, as a network provider in Nigeria had become history with the daunting competition that confronts it due to the emergence of other network providers. I remember vividly few years ago when an MTN SIM could go for more than forty thousand naira in this very country. Nigerians were then made to believe that the cost of production and importation of MTN SIM was responsible for its high cost; but the moment other network providers stormed the country, importation and production cost became minor issues. At least, they could forego such huge exploitation of the masses, because it was going to force them out of the market.  

Nigeria is considered to be one of the biggest markets for MTN in sub-Sahara Africa, and had no doubt suffered extreme exploitation in the hands of the Mobile Tele-communication network as it rightly calls itself.  No single soul, even a child of yesterday is oblivious of this crime against Nigerians, yet our consumptions rights remain unprotected by the concerned protection agencies.  Even though the exploitation of MTN has gotten to our throats, we all grumble and scuffle with the network; we simply can’t write an open petition to the government concerning this unfortunate network that has ripped-off our economy, after all, the government’s hands are tied regarding taking action due to some individual’s interest.

Despite the poor network, the extra charges based on some deceptive caller tunes, compelling subscription to news, fake promos on ‘’call more to get extra recharges’’ that never come, blackberry network that remains droopy, fake data bundles that finish before insertion of SIM to Data-stick, vanishing of credits, wrong information on network connection leading to serious domestic squabbles and a host of other maddening and high standard frauds, we have continued to patronize MTN and its continuous manipulative tendency.  We can’t even talk about millions who have lost their monies to MTN after having purchased recharged cards that were never loaded. In such mischievous circumstance, the customer care lines are only useful to them via their automated advert response. You have to wait endlessly for the next available agents that will never attend to you. Rubbish- impudence!

Are we so naive that we can’t see this extreme exploitation? Tell me now if you have had network on your blackberry for the past five or four days? I know that almost everybody around me is going through the same experience and I have no doubt that by the end of this week of no BB network, they will apologize to all MTN BB subscribers without compensation. They have done it several times. EMPTY N, is that why you are here?   

What is the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as well as the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) doing to cut down the excesses of MTN and other networks with the same exploitative tendencies? NCC had at a point stopped all forms of promos that lure customers into loses, but it only lasted for few weeks. We are back to another phase of deception and manipulation. Read your messages, I mean those exasperating messages, asking you to subscribe to ‘this’ to get ‘that’, and because of our mentality, we all ask no further questions but to subscribe, only to cry foul at last.  How will they explain why an individual who managed to purchase 200 naira recharge card, is later left with nothing to use even when he or she had not called a single person? Who took the loaded credit? MTN needs to explain this.

It’s only in Nigeria that a mobile network provider like MTN can boldly dupe a customer and defend their act via one lousy voice at the customer service unit with some incoherent and illogical reasons; obviously, brothers have been trained to dupe their own brothers. A caller tune that is to be paid for once in a month is mostly paid for five times in a month. Haven’t you experienced same? You sit there doing nothing. What is even the use subscribing to a data bundle and BIS you can’t use for even a week?

My demand as well as the rest of other MTN users is simple and straight. If the government can no longer regulate the activities of the mobile company, they should send them away, as their presence in a liberal economy like ours, will continue to rip-off the ordinary man who has no knowledge about the gimmicks of the mobile company.

Granted, MTN must make profits, but there should be a clear distinction between profit and exploitation. As I write this piece, some group of young Nigerians are blaming our so called artistes who keep blowing selfish trumpets for this exploiter. Wizkid, Iyanya, KC Presh and a host of other sycophantic artistes should note this. You are showering accolades on a company that is exploiting your people because you have been paid some meagre sum. Do you know how much the exploiter is supposed to pay you for giving them the same voice the ordinary Nigerian has brought out of you? They made you, so the need for you to align with them. There are certain things we don’t do, because we value our fans. Your fans all over the country are crying over exploitation you and I are supposed to fight, yet you are kneeling and worshipping MTN. How much is that?   Nigerian youth have sworn to make you all sink with MTN in this campaign. This is a clarion call to all Nigerian youth to sign against MTN and its exploitation. Sign against any artist who endorses MTN. Why endorsing what is not good? Your endorsement is highly deceptive.  Enough is enough.

Ambassador Egwu of the Eden Integrated had told me that the only option is for all youth to sign below this article as we all share the same views. In this case, we are all asked to join in distributing this article until it gets to MTN, and relevant authorities. This article is written on behalf of other million MTN users who are grumbling in pain. They are now been subjected to oppression in their country by some foreign dudes. What the heck is that???  If you agree with me, sign your name under this article and continue sharing. If one million of us sign this article in unison, the government will understand where we currently stand. We must remain fearless, and ask questions as this is our OWN country. We must not be carried away by some internal political wrangling while we face some dwindling economy created by some imperialists. These are some comprador bourgeois ready to kill for money and the earlier we stopped their mission the better for us. Enough is enough.

Sign now....................................  

 

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