MTN incessant poor services and the need for FG to send it back home

Allow me a space to register my displeasure over  MTN incessant network failure and poor quality of services it is rendering to Nigerians despite over ten years of its establishment.

Last month when two Nigerian planes carrying about 15 million dollars were impounded in South Africa, the Nigerian government demanded the release of the money or it will expel some South African companies – with MTN included. At that time, I felt it was un necessary and unfair for Nigeria to expel its pioneer telecommunication company, MTN, just because of a diplomatic row. That was because, I believed that South Africa did the right thing, and Nigeria must learn to respect it self before it will be respected by others.

As things will later make me to learn my mistake, and to understand that MTN should go back home. That was because I was caught by MTN consistent poor network quality, and unnecessary charges to Nigerians. I subscribed for MTN blackberry subscription last week. I was just hoping that the subscription will start immediately and I will continue my pinging as I have thousands of online friends, critics, and family waiting for my presence daily.. The subscription did not start immediately. I was patient for four hours as there was no confirmation from MTN, nor was my subscription active. I waited again for  another four hours, but no response. I then decided to call the customer care. It took fifteen minutes before the agent of MTN answered. I lodge my complain, but it was of no help to me. I re call the MTN customer care again. The agent asked me to do hard reset after asking me to carry out a diagnostic test. After doing that, my phone went off and perhaps, got a problem because of that. I had to pay about two thousand naira before it was repaired.

That was my own case alone. Not to talk of millions of People that were/are deprived by service providers in Nigeria. It is sad and unfortunate that the Nigerian Communication Commission, ministry of communication and all other relevant authorities are not living up to expectations. It will be recalled that, some service providers in Nigeria were last year bared from compulsory promos they are forcing customers to enter,  charging them money daily, weekly, or monthly. That was part of the illicit and un ethical practices  service providers in Nigeria are engaged in.  This cheat can only be found in Nigeria, as  it is only here in Nigeria that the established regulators are sleeping and waiting to be served bribery to keep quite.

Nigerians are also not helping matters. When two or three naira is removed illegally from their accounts, they don’t complain. They don’t protest, and they don’t make efforts to stop it.  They will keep mute and start gossiping that so and so network did this to me, did that to me, and that is where his complain will end. Nigerians must be resolute against corruption no matter how small it is. If we can not fight a small corruption like complaining about irksome charges, then how can we fight bribery and corruption like looting of public funds in Nigeria?
I call on the NCC, and all other relevant ministries, department and agencies in Nigeria to please rise up and live up to expectations and stop all the illicit charges, and deprivation of customers by service providers.

Comrade Abdulbaqi  Jari Katsina
Katsina state
@jariabdubaqi