₦airaland Forum

menix:
So u re saying Volkswagen will not pay the $18 billion fine in America..

Deutsche bank paid $55 million to America..
Make una dey write with brain oo..

55 Million dollars is not 5 Billion dollars with a little common sense, I expect u to figure that out. ...read and understand!

And which 18 Billion fine are u talking about concerning Volks in America? Even if that were true, was 18 billion paid in one swoop like buying pepper...na u suppose use your advice and use your BRAIN. Stop displaying your abysmal ignorance for public knowledge.

No company will pour 5 billion dollars into another economy just like that...I repeat none. More so when it is a fine not investment

Have we wondered why even after admission we have stolen funds from Nigeria stashed in Swiss banks it is taking eternity to get it back? Stolen funds o.

If FG/NCC doesn't accept staggered payment, they can as well withdraw MTN'S licence.

Investors are watching sha...If FG doesn't handle this MTN issue well, it will back fire big time. Let FG be doing gra gra thinking they are impressing the gullible masses.

@ Laudate, stop educating nairalanders with low emotional IQ.

It is clear to anyone that is educated and exposed to know u know what u are saying.

It is only in these clime government can't do something right, when they outsource it and the firm runs efficiently and it becomes big, the people shout scam.

Is this happening in Zoo 1 or Zoo 2 ?

Is the NEXUS not made by Google?

They already have the NEXUS in the market so this not news.

It has been there for close to year...this is not new.

It is baffling people do not see this guy for who he is......

If you are intelligent, smart, hardworking and have made something of your life, will Barcanista be in your close circle of friends.. someone that can be trusted?

Goldenboy007:
It clearly shows that most of us are oblivious of the consequences of MTN divesting their interest in the Nigerian economy. Thousands of Generator companies like Jubaili, JMG, Mikano, and mech/tech spare parts companies will go down, thousands of indigenous diesel company will die, what of Telecom support companies? Ericsson will downsize, Huawei will downsize, Siemens, etc, the indigenous ones will close down. That's just mentioning few of the impact of MTN shutting down business in Nigeria. The present unemployment will be a child's play to the one you will subsequently witness ! Bunch of ignorant people ! Judging the level of intelligence in some comments some so called Nigerian youths make on this forum, please tell me these people are 8 grade kids and not product of our educational systems ...or else Nigeria is in trouble !!

Nigerians can't think deeply. Overly emotional with low IQ

There is no egalitarian society anywhere in the world.

Vanguard has thrown professionalism in journalism into thrash bin.

MTN Nigeria CEO is Mikel Ikpoki

The group CEO resigned and this man will only be in acting capacity for 6 months before another group CEO is appointed.

There is no where he claimed he will deal with NCC.

Haba Vanguard!

godspeed:
You see, comments like this make u very unpopular.

Nigerians always think with their emotions.

I have keenly followed this story since MTN was slammed with that gargantuan fine and the reactions of most Nigerians to it has left me bitterly disappointed. Like u rightly asked; why do we hate MTN this much?

We seem to have forgotten in a hurry the efforts former president obasanjo made to lure foreign investors to Nigeria during his first term. He was globe trotting and practically begging these investors to come to Nigeria.

Now we seem to have what we want and we are very comfortable to the extent that we have become very hostile to these same companies we begged to come here.

When did we suddenly get this feeling of entitlement? Imagine people saying that 'most of this foreign coys were willfully taking Nigeria for a ride because no one had in the past demonstrated the political will to protect the interest of Nigeria'(kx above). Let me ask you; where were we before MTN came in? And how do our own companies treat us?

We seem to have forgotten the days of NITEL in a hurry. Tell me what kind of services were we enjoying then? What could we or did we do to them? How much did NCC ever fine NITEL then for poor services or for being in violation? When exactly did we start getting this feeling of entitlement?

If we are talking about companies taking Nigerians for a ride, tell me which company does that more than our very own PHCN or whatever they are called now. Tomorrow if a foreign firm buys PHCN and we have power cut for just 1 hour I we'll begin to castigate them.

I will not join the debate whether MTN needs Nigeria more than Nigeria needs her. But every responsible country of the world always do whatever is within their power to ensure that corporate organizations thrive. These companies create the wealth of nations.

The fine on MTN is ridiculous, even if MTN is in violation and are supposed to be fined,NCC should have put a cap on the fine to be paid and not an impossible amount that will practically put MTN out of business.

To put the fine in perspective, 1 trillion is one quarter of our current budget, it's more than the budget of some 20 states in Nigeria put together and its more than double the annual turnover of MTN Nigeria.

Nigeria please let reason prevail

You indeed very wise. Majority of Nigerians have a false sense of importance and entitlement. See them calling for DSTV too. What have these companies done to them? Nothing. Just herd mentality....they can't reason on their own. Even the so called DsTv promoted Nolllywood when they lost the soccer right. Dstv has bouqet of 1600...but Nigerians want premium bouquet for nothing. They want to call for nothing. That's why they damage transformers and put neighborhood in darkness.

We are not really interested in development but our pockets. Yes MTN should pay the fine but is your fine reasonable? That is bottom line which they all have refused to think about.

donhils:
Since the announcement of this fine on MTN, many Nigerians have rejoiced and danced over it. But set prejudice aside, what wrong has MTN really done to anybody? I'll answer that, None. MTN is and will still remain the all round best network provider here in Nigeria until Glo that is supposed to be the leader (having that indigenous edge) steps up to the responsibility. So why all the hates? Let's talk about NCC for a bit, what exactly were they thinking slamming such huge amounts on a company that's here to help? Has NCC lived up to its responsibilities? All networks being nuisance to the customers thru unsolicited texts and calls, stealing from the unsuspecting public. Have they moved to stop all these nonsense? What is NCC doing to improve the quality of services? Have they looked into the exorbitant rates of data in the industry? What have they done to better the lives of Nigerians? After MTN have paid 1.4trillion, then what next? What is the spirit behind this fine? And Nigeirans are rejoicing.

The Emotional intelligence and IQ of majority of Nigerians are too low. They will never agree with you.

Acidosis:
Nigerians are generally incompetent and corrupt. MTN operates in about 5 countries. Why is this happening only in Nigeria? Its simple, because the CEO is a Nigerian. No Nigerian will ever rise to that seat ever again.

It is painful

I hope everyone is aware that it I th group CEO that resigned and not MTN Nigeria CEO.

MTN Nigeria CEO is a Nigerian from Bayelsa, Mikel Ikpoki. With this development he may not escape the sack too and the first time a Nigerian became a CEO this happened.

Think Nigerians, think! They just made the Nigerians who are currently running mtn Nigeria look incompetent.

Nigerians are in charge of mtn Nigeria

I wrote on this thread that our emotional intelligence is very low and we cant reason logically. Unfortunately, people like you are in the minority and the low IQ majority are about to get their wish. It is a big shame I swear.

Their is no logic in their thought process.

Setaje:
We have igbo senators. Igbo local government chairman, igbo governors, like wise yorubas , we have proffesionals working in this same government from every region. We've had hausas for many years in the government, we had a yoruba man, the Niger delta had jonathan and the igbos were greatly involved in that government. They give us our allocation every month, yet nothing changed. This is not a matter of biafra. This is a black man's problem. What u cannot get in Nigeria, u cannot get it in Biafra. Igbo leaders should have fought for massive development during jonathans time. They could not even fight for the Niger bridge. Who do u blame for that? Leaders emerge out of followers. What our leaders are doing to us is as a result of who we are. Africans should learn to fight the right battle. If not we would continue to be impoverished. Nothing will change. No african country is doing well except south Africa because the whites are firmly in control of their economy. We cannot continue to blame the white man for our woes. They saw that we were not developed hence they were able to partition us like animals. There is something inherently wrong wiv the black mind. Till we wake up. Till God illuminates our understanding. Nothing will change.


And I am hundred percent certain biafra will never be different from the rest of Africa. Likewise oduduwa republic or the north. if this igbos could come out like this for Nnamdi Kanu, defying rain and police brutality, why couldn't they do the same for their governor? Why couldn't they do the same for their senators, why couldn't they do the same for their local government chairman? Those are the people representing them. Those are their voices, those are the people who could have made life better for them, this same youths would see their governor tomorrow and hail them. Would go and beg for common borehole from their local government chairman and councillors. How do u rationalise this?


Isn't something wrong wiv the black mind

Everyone is gradually taking sides, including newspapers.

In another 50 or 100 years, the black race and Nigerians will look back and realise it not about tribe, Religion or political affiliation.

Majority lack critical reasoning skills and our emotional intelligence is too low.

Only a few will understand the message been passed.

This is a disgusting topic that should not have graced the front page. Rubbish!

Other operators are rolling out LTE by December too.

Kx:
In otherwords the burden of the fines paid by the banks has no effects on d banks according to u abi?

Yes, TSA is government money held by banks to do business. Government is asking for her money back. In MTNs case, it is money belonging to a business.

Kx:
Una Sabi generalise without double checking?

FBN paid a fine of over N1.2billion for flouting TSA, na SA company?
UBA has been fine over N2.4billion for flouting TSA na Mbeki company?
Haba, must we whip up sentiments and generalise wrongly just to support willful and complete disregard for the law of the land?

Was UBA not fined and penalized some years back in USA over corporate breaches?
Why are we like this for crying out loud?

TSA is government money. Technically banks have no money.

Majority of the posters don't even know the reasons for the fine.

These lines were to disconnected due to dirty data and not because they were not registered. They were not registered properly. So what constitutes dirty data?:

-house address that cannot be verified (as if Nigeria has a well planned towns and cities where all houses and street are properly numbered and named)

- Poor facial feature capture. Or outright fake picture.

- Not capturing all the fingerprints properly

- some customers linked one registered line to several others etc.

These are the reasons why some were asked to come and re-register. The first phase when Mtn disconnected around 1.8 million lines, we all saw how all their service centers were crowded up. All mtn is asking for to be allowed to do this in phases. Imagine what would have happened if they disconnect 5 million lines in one swoop

Anyway, before now, underground politics has been under way to frustrate mtn so Nigerian politicians can take it over.

By the way, mtn is also a victim of a country without a working system. In developed clime, the moment u tender your id to buy a sim, the information is automatically uploaded into central data base which we lack.

Mtn is registering, inec is registering, nimc is registering, frsc is registering, immigration is registering..etc when are we going to harmonise this separate data's and save companies like mtn the wahala. A legit id card is what would have been required at the point of purchase.

cecegorz:
Don't be too hot headed to reason.
Read that report again, and my initial comment. I also thought the fine was ridiculous until I saw the NCC's statement that the Telcos were warned of a fine of N200k per single unregistered line.
Now ask yourself why would 3 Telcos comply to the directive and not have a single unregistered line still in operations while MTN allows over 5 million unregistered lines in operations.
We all know the economic sabotage these lines cause here, including but not limited to high increase in unresolved kidnap cases because the callers can't be traced.
What we should be discussing is whether NCC will negotiate a discount for them or insist on exacting the stipulated N200k each for every single one of those 5 million active lines.
We all long for our country to be great but when it comes to applying consequences of flouting the law, we bring in sentiments. Go and find out how much EU/US fine fortune 500 companies that flout laws over there, including Microsoft, BP, VW etc... You can go bankrupt for all they care, but every other company must know that rules are meant to be obeyed, that is how to build a working society.

Who told u the other three complied? U see, u are discussing with an insider.

NCC collects fee for every active SIM in the country and every sim rolled out must be approved by them. Did ncc return the monthly rental fee paid for these 5 million lines? Do u know while NCC is doing theirs, dss invited all operators over to discuss the recent disconnections that lead to serious crowd at Mtn offices.

Some customers even went to court.

I'm not saying mtn has done no wrong but this brazen attitude of government to the 6th biggest investor in Nigeria is very bad.


NCC is only capitalising on the fact that Nigeria lacks a proper national identity system. In developed countries, when buying a sim, your ID card is all the registration that is required because they have a working system. Telecos are registering, banks are registering, NIMC is registering, INEC is registering etc. Telecos operators are only doing what really is the job of government in a working system.

And for the kidnap cases, it is our security agencies that are doing lazy job. The information on location of every caller is readily available but it is the same government that put a clause in NCC act that is criminal to reveal information about sim location and the process is ridiculously long to get approval for such.

Why not wait and see where this will end? We as insiders already know the end point. Our politicians want to take over mtn, it is as simple as that.

Bokoharam has bombed hundreds of base stations in the north, is the government paying them for their damaged investment because security is their baby? No.

Don't think this for u an I. It is simply politics. Their was even a time Etisalat took mtn to court for having on net calls of around 6 naira. Is it mtn that introduced the price war?

See all other operators know the market is saturated. Therefore the only way to grow is to take out of the operator with 50% market share. If number portability didn't do it, fines will do it.

cecegorz:
Come on man, that was a sweeping statement with no substance.
Nigerians actually run MTN, the only difference is that the SA company is the technical partner.
Prior to the advent of GSM, no Nigerian company has technical capacity in GSM switching operations so none could have taken up the technical role, but it was Nigeria's high networth investors that pulled equity together for the funding.
Stop looking down on Nigerians, we know what's up.

That crimininaly minded politicians fleeced their states out of Econet investment does not take out the fact that their are also individual Angel investors in the same company who are still holding strong their shares.

Yes, and that is why MTN is about to be fleeced, When Nigerians got to management level. Which high net worth investors. FYI European investors have more stake in MTN than South Africans. What Nigerians owe is very small.

If this is not politics without common sense, why fine one company 1/4 of the entire nations budget?

Is that sensible?

mekaboy:
They should realise that MTN has already made their profit in Nigeria. Most of the top level management now has been handed over to Nigerians. The owners are now in south africa recieving reports on returns. They are even about to list on Nigerian stock exchange.

So whatever fine you give them, will still affect Nigerians. They will lay off Nigerian staff to meet up.

Though NCC and the ogas in abuja will share the money, but some Nigerians with families will loose their jobs in this harsh economy. Will NCC employ them?


When i hear people say chase MTN out, i laugh. MTN has left Nigeria, anything you do to MTN now, it is Nigerians that suffer it.

Thank you!

I believe you are an insider

cecegorz:
When the news broke out initially, I saw the $5.2bn fine as an overkill and wondered how NCC just pulled those figures off the rat hole. But with this explanation that the riot act was read out to all Telcos about N200k fine per SIM, I think it is very much in order to exact the fine from them.
However, MTN's defense is quite lame, using emplyment to scare us is rubbish, they can as well sell off their equity and leave. Econet has changed management over times, resulting in today's Airtel and Nigeria has not fallen because of it.
Let me also remind MTN that in the beginning, after raising private equity, they promised to go public after about 2 years of operation, but they later completely reneged on that promise, today they are still a private company, denying the NSE a huge market share that could have been generated by their public trading, as well as denying a greater number of Nigerians the opportunity to their share-holding.

All these impunities must stop, and I believe it is about time.

Take note, the moment Nigerians have controlling share, the company is gone. If we are not lazy and like plugging into already cooked meal, why didn't all our billionaires and thieving politicians invest in Telecoms? Even the state that bought into Econet sold the shares and chopped the money.

We can all go sentimental as stuff Nigerians do not know how to run business. Right now, Etisalat that came 7 years late have more subscribers than GLO. The only telecoms companies they could not over take is MTN and AirTel. Why is that so?

amazingspiderma:
Even if MTN has fail in the directive of NCC,it is not the only company to so in Nigeria.
One of the main reasons they target MTN is simply because it is a foreign company which is not influenced by certain group of people.
The never believed they would become this sucessful,unlike political transcrop which could not run Nitel successfully.
They though it was about buying assessts,now they they understand that assesst without management policy is trash.
Why not glo or etisalat on the news.What about the oil companies, this is all politics.
MTN has done more good than harm compared to other companies in Nigeria.It has provided jobs,connectivity and made life easier for Nigerians.
The amount is unrealistic,Nigerian politicians destroy anything that they cannot gain from or control directly.

A thinking Nigerian.

This is just politics and a brutal way to take over the firm. We dey watch....

Same government that could not fix power, roads , and provide basic infrastructures is now beaming her search light on a private company that became so big they could not believe they do not have free access to the cookie jar.

And for those claiming another company will by them over, where is starcomms and other companies bought over? Did Transcorp not buy Nitel?

OlujobaSamuel:
Bros, glo fibre optic is having a wider range than that of mtn. Do you know glo is the only network in Nigeria that runs a fibre optic cable from UK down to Nigeria and some other Africa countries.
NB; Not a glo fan nor have I used their network before, but setting the record straight.
Airtel is having a wider range in terms of reception in rural areas than any other network.
Last week, Mtn said they are to lose about 5m customers because it is more expensive running their network base in the rural communities. 70 to 85% are in the urban or suburban areas.
About 90% of subscribers(Enterprise Solutions inclusive) are having backups, so I only see a minimal effect as collateral damage.

GLO has one

Main One has one

MTN has one (west African cable landing company)

FYI, the total number of base stations in Nigeria combined is around 24 thousand. MTN has around 9500. There is no operator that has mtns coverage in Nigeria. Yes, network experience varies from location to location but fact is in terms of coverage no one is close to mtn. How did they end up with 50% market share if not due to wider coverage?

In major cities, they are not the market leader anymore so their large subscriber base is only due to wider coverage.

When is FG going to fine themselves for not delivering on the national identity card?

We need to separate politics from business. We also need to separate our emotions from logical reasoning as Nigerians.

MTN is one of the biggest investors in Nigeria and government cannot punish them for their own laxity. Did NCC not collect money for sim reg that operators are already doing?

The main reason for this fine is because mtn has consistently refused to do the shady deals our politicians and public office holders are used to. Why fine 200k for every unregistered sim? Are u saying on the average Nigerians load 200k on their sims annually or monthly?

Mind u, this is the second time NCC is fining mtn in less than 1yr. The strategy is to frustrate them so they can take it over and run it like Nitel and kill it.

Yes, mtn is not perfect but this has politics and determination to frustrate them out written all over it. And for all those rejoicing, we are in a digital world where everything is linked together. If mtn shuts down all their switches today, economic activity will grind to a halt! Fact!

Swift, and other ISPs have their backbone traffic on their fibre infrastructure. Some oil platforms are using their Tx services. Some bank networks are riding on mtns enterprise solution and their back up may not be as robust.

Yes, fine mtn, but apply some common sense into it.

Fining one company 1/4 of the nations entire annual budget is illogical.

MadCow1:
OP..

Stop whining.. Its not personal.

Out of sight, out of mind. The moment you leave their line of sight, the less they see you. Its just natural.


Also your mindset awould make you see things that don't exist. You may be reading things that are not there. I have friends who are jobless that feel that because I am working and doing well I should be able to get them a job which in all honesty I cant. Not everybody who has a job has the ability to influence recruitment. Even those that work in H.R.

I hear a lot of anger and self pity in your post. I felt the same way too. I was just looking through my account statement a few minutes ago and was seeing transactions with colleagues from my old job that I have not even heard a word from ever since I left that job. They didn't even call to ask me how I was faring and stuff. I don't hold it against them, everybody is too busy trying to make a good life for themselves to be bothered with me.

However let me tell you about how I got my new job.. It was via recommendation by an old colleague who wasn't even that close to me sef then. But apparently, he was with his uncle who works in another company when their conversation got towards work and his uncle mentioned an availability for a job description that I used to do. He just mouthed off that he knew someone who did similar job in his company that just got laid off ad that's how I got a call out of nowhere from the guy saying to send my resume to his uncle. Till tomorrow its like a miracle of sorts because the person who did this for me was not my friend, just that guy that I would stop by his office to have some small talk with. I don't know his surname, never been to his house, never sat for drinks with him, never hung out with him. Just hang shakes and how are you sort of friend. I never even told him what I did nor do I know his job description either.

Basically, stop expecting too much from other people. Help will come when help comes. Maintain all friendships as best as you can as I believe good and bad friends have their uses.

Wishing you the best.

Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!!

You are one of the very few people I wish I know in real life on this forum.

Joel3:
communication cable deep under the sea... the white are light years ahead of blacks.

Dude, we have under sea cables landing in Nigeria too.

GLO Submarine cable, Main One, MTN Nigeria all have submarine cables connecting Nigeria to other parts of the world.

Truckpusher:
Another lie being peddled by a pained expansionist .

There is nothing in Port Harcourt yet your kin and kith and trooping in everyday in their thousands and building shops even where spirits fear to go and shop.

Abeg carry your big mouth stroll enter left small for Lagos.

I hope u now understand how the Yorubas feel when Igbos call Lagos a no man's land. It is the same experience u are going through right now.

RedCard1:
are my eyes decieving me? This comment got almost 1000 likes...for real? Mr Judgementhammer your babalawo strong o

Because it is unique and he put some genuine thoughts into it.