NCC’s fine not responsible for sack of 259 employees, says MTN

Telecommunications firm, MTN yesterday said the disengagement of 259 employees had nothing to do with the N1.04 trillion fine imposed on it by the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC).

The fine was reduced to N330 billion after negotiations with the NCC, is to be paid by installments within three years.

MTN’s Acting Head of Corporate Services, Mrs. Oyeronke Oyetunde who appeared before the Saheed Akinade-Fijabi led House of Representatives committee on Telecommunications, explained that the workers were disengaged after MTN’s operations went digital.

Oyetunde was responding to a question by Diri Douye (PDP Bayelsa) about insinuations that MTN embarked on the disengagements after the NCC sanctioned it last year.

She told members of the committee probing the job and revenue losses in the telecom sector that MTN had 1,493 workers with 15 expatriates while 356 workers were disengaged last year.

She added that 194 of the employees left voluntarily while 65 others were relieved at management’s discretion.

“MTN had always outsourced its call centres over the years and had already commenced the process of recruiting between 100 -150 workers of the targeted 240 new intakes that could fit into its digital operations.

But dissatisfied with the explanation that some of the disengaged workers left voluntarily, the committee directed the MTN official to make available an inventory of all the disengaged workers to enable them ascertain their mode of exit to substantiate the claim.

A member of the committee, Nnenna Elendu-Ekeje (PDP Abia) enjoined MTN to suggest ways to galvanize the telecommunications sector to avert further job losses and boost revenue for the government.

Meanwhile, Airtel’s Director of Human Resources, Gbemiga Owolabi, in his submission disclosed that 90 workers left the company last year, adding that 60 others resigned voluntarily, six exited due to unethical practices while 14 others were disengaged.