musicwriter:


For all the countries I've been, there's no difference between the way MTN recycle inactive phone lines in Nigeria and the way its done elsewhere. As a matter of fact, Nigeria is not the only country where MTN does business. I am on a business trip outside Nigeria as I write, and I have two MTN lines right now previously owned my a native here. And yes, I received his/her bank alert few days ago but which I quickly deleted.

Every GSM company every place I know, recycle inactive numbers. Its not only done in Nigeria.

Is Buhari's daughter the only person in Nigeria who've ever dumped a phone line before? How about millions of other Nigerians who have used several phone lines in the past but which now belong to someone else?

The problem is not MTN but because you're ruled by a tyrant who can imprison you up for 10 weeks because you innocently purchased a phone line previously used by his daughter. When a country has a bad leader, the people live in fear. You jailed someone because he bought a phone line formerly used by your daughter?!!. I just can't get my head around this. This type of news is unheard of even in North Korea.

tk4rd:
Dear MTN..

I am going to be very brief on this, but I would make my points very clear.

You people had been doing “recycling of numbers” of innocent Nigerians who had not used their lines for up to one year or more, and the only remedy you guys put in place was to introduce a service known as “Keep My Line”, which you guys did not even sensitize the citizens on or make popular enough, and as a result, lots of the helpless Nigerian citizens did not even know about this service.

This had cause a lot of people to loose their precious numbers just like that, only because they had the opportunity of travelling abroad for some jobs or for studies, or maybe for one serious reason or another had a good cause to temporarily abandon their main lines for more than one year..

MTN, you guys never thought that these recycled lines might had been connected to the original owners bank-accounts, and that the new owners of these lines would now be given express unchecked access to these bank account through the USSD Mobile Banking Methods.

...Yess..
Someone recently bought a new line, and with all the happiness that he was able to still see a “0803...” number still available, the next thing he started seeing were messages from lots of people he never knew, lots of calls from unknown persons mistaking him to be the husband of one certain lady and telling him to hand the phone over to her so that they can talk to her directly.. Meanwhile, this guy had not married. He doesn't even have a serious girlfriend at the moment. To cap it all, he continued receiving series of endless debit and credit alerts on his phones of transactions he knows absolute nothing about.
He first went to the bank to stop the endless alerts, but they told him that he wasn't the one to apply for the change of number, but the original owner of the bank-account.

Now, imagine that this guy here has someone working in the bank who is ready to divulge information to him for some chicken change,, all he needs is just the correct account number of the person, and he would activate the USSD mobile banking options on the bank account..
What if the original owner had already activated USSD Mobile Banking?? In that case, all that the new owner of the line would do is just to dial the USSD mobile banking code for the bank, and start trying his best to change the transaction PIN or Password.

Dear MTN, if you guys may recall,, there is a recent issue which is already in court between You (MTN), Hanan Buhari (President Buhari's Daughter), The DSS, and one Anthony Okolie from Delta State.

To be honest, you MTN are the main cause of all the problems here. You guys blocked off Hanan in the first place and she lost her precious line.. Then you went ahead to sell the same line as a new line to an innocent unsuspecting Anthony.
Tell me, is it his fault that he bought the line..
You guys are totally guilty here.

And the earlier you stop doing this recycling of numbers, the better for you guys.
More criminal cases are still coming.

The case of Anthony Okolie and Hanan Buhari is just the beginning.

Okoroawusa:

Rie nsi oku ebe anwa!

So you can't discuss this matter like others?
Na Buhari dey do you?

Racoon:
Thanks! NCC really have to address this fraudulent practice by the telecom regulators(esp.MTN, Airtel).

madan:
Imagine, my late mum's number has been given to someone else. Someone called me and said she mistakenly dialed her number while trying to call me but was surprised that it rang and someone said "hello" to her. When she told me about it, I argued that it was never possible because I was the one that switched off her phone and removed the Sim from the phone. I later dialed the number and heard the person's voice but I quickly cut the call. Can you just imagine that. This person that bought the Sim now will start receiving strange calls because people might try to reach my mum because it's not long she died.

fkj950ax:


There are Terms and Conditions at the sale of every SIM. Which we all accepted at purchase and activation of the line
I advise you to read it before this letter of yours.

Firstorderwizard:
A protest letter against recycling of old, worn-out polithieves like bubu,Tibubu and Lai would have added sense into this write up

themonk:
Your open letter should be to the NCC who sets the standards
Numbers are recycled everywhere even in the US. You do not own a number for a lifetime and you accepted that contract by using a SIM card. You must recharge and use your credit to use a billable service to keep using your number.

Boldbode:
@Poster, recycling of inactive SIM is a general rule not limited to just MTN.
You may address your letter to NCC. The telecoms are regulated by NCC.

oluwaseyi000:

What's holding your own hand from writing that?

tk4rd:
In Nigeria, we copy a lot, and we end up pasting wrongly..
Do Americans also allow the new owners of the recycled numbers to still be receiving bank alerts of the old owners??

decatalyst:


You see, most of you guys that think you are literate enough to know right or wrong are actually not so literate and intelligent. No pun intended.
And the main problem is that majority of Nigerias don't read at all or just read to get the headlines.

In the sim pack you bought, there are terms and conditions...most Nigerians don't even know they are not the owner of these numbers...just like the prepaid meter you use your money to buy!

But how will you know this? You don't read at all! And the relevant government agencies are not doing enough! I wonder what NOA is there for. NCC is really trying...doing radio sensitization programmes...but majority of the educated illiterates are on the internet and barely get the drift.

It is not only about MTN, but it's what's applicable across board. No telco will leave a line for over one year without a customer using it and they continue to pay taxes on it. I cannot work that way fa.

fineboynl:
instead of recycling phone number they should instead extend the number from 11 to 15 digits.

that way everyone can keep their old number.

imaging buying a blacklisted phone number. a number that was previously used for crime.

Jabioro:
My friend up till last Friday still receiving alerts of millions of naira messages..he tired,broke and need of money..if police especially SARS the
yahoo searchers get hold of that his phimaginee that. would think they have arrived....their matter na ole gbe ole gba.. meanwhile he knows nothing about it

tk4rd:
Lots of Nigerians are having lots of troubles with their newly bought lines that still had lots and lots to do with their former owners, and you are here talking Terms and Conditions..
Real problems here, and you are there quoting some silly T&C ideals..
ROBOTS EVERYWHERE.!!
I don't blame you a bit.