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Where Is The 49% Stake Of Government In NITEL/MTEL? By Mbonu Chris
By November, 2006 the sale of Nitel/Mtel had been concluded and Transcorp began the gradual process of take-over. Within the transition period, some staff of the ailing companies lost their jobs and those that were left were assured of better days ahead if they work hard.
Staff were gingered to give their best with the assurances that funds would be made available and Nigerians would have a feel of “a world class company that is 100 per cent Nigerian”
Six months later, new management were brought in to raise the curtain of the company and its staff. The assurances were once again renewed and challenges were made open. That spurred the staff whose expectations was rekindled with the assurances given by Transcorp that they were going to in inject over 2 billion to resuscitate as well as expand Mtel whose subscriber base has nose-dived from almost one million to lowly 35,000 with a sad story of crash landing of monthly generation of 2 billion naira to N35,000.00.
Almost a year now after the take over by “the world class company”, nothing significantly has happened in terms of revamping the network and or expanding it. With the take over of Mtel by Transcorp in November, 2006, there was much expectation and excitement on the part of the remaining staff on the new owners and management to change the dwindled fortune of the company and chart a new course.
The innocent staff, became the victims of circumstance as they are being owed their allowances since January this year top of which is the housing allowance. One would wonder if the management have any human face as staff are being ejected from their houses by landlords for failing to meet up their tenancy obligations. The monthly salaries remain irregular as staff have to wait until the last week of the coming month to collect previous month’s salary.
No body is even talking about the remittances of deductions made from staff salaries. This include the mandatory National Housing Fund and the pension contribution which have not been remitted to various pension companies .
Work in Mtel is no longer interesting and this is attested by the fact of mass exodus of staff to accept even lowly jobs else where.
Mtel staff have never had it this rough! How could Transcorp that claims to be a world class company fail to revamp Mtel whose network is proud of “voice quality” almost a year after its take over? How could they allow the staff of Mtel to cry of lack of payment of salary and allowances. Just how could Transcorp do a thing like that; could it be sheer wickedness or lack of concern for their staff?
The list of failures continue in Mtel and I want to believe its sheer wickedness other wise how can Transcorp be talking of moving the headquarters of Mtel from Abuja to Lagos when they could not meet up the financial obligations of staff rights and entitlement? Why not use part of that same money to settle staff allowances then inject the remaining into the network?
I think Transcorp needs to be reminded that they own only 51% shares of the two companies. One wonders why government would not even reverse the so-called sale of these companies given the glaring failures of Transcorp in Nitel and Mtel.
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