Following
an order issued last week by the Consumer Protection Council directing MTN
Nigeria Communications Limited to, within 14 days, pay a complainant, Mr. Omeje
Fidelis N1.85m being the balance of his winning in the promotion held in 2012,
the telecommunication giant has effected the payment to the aggrieved consumer.
The
CPC said in a statement issued on Wednesday that MTN, in compliance with the
order, raised a United Bank of Africa’s draft in the said sum in favour of the
complainant on February 11, 2016.
The
statement stated that Fidelis, in a telephone conversation, confirmed to the
CPC his receipt of the amount, disclosing that he received the cheque for the
balance of his N2m prize on Monday, February 15, 2016.
It
said, “CPC is also in receipt of a settlement agreement made to that effect
between Omeje, MTN and its event manager for the Ultimate Wonder Promo prize
presentation, Towncriers Limited, authorising the event manager to issue a bank
draft in the sum of N1.85m in full and final satisfaction of the CPC’s Order
and all claims to the complainant.”
Reacting
to the development, CPC’s Director General, Mrs. Dupe Atoki, while welcoming
the prompt compliance by MTN, said this underscores the supremacy of the
consumer in the market-place.
She
urged businesses to exhibit best practices that will engender value for
money for consumers.
The
CPC had last week Wednesday directed MTN Communications Limited to pay within
14 days the sum of N1.85m to one of the winners of its Ultimate Wonder Promo
for lack of due diligence.
Fidelis
had claimed that he had been underpaid after he was declared winner of N2m in
the said sales promotion, which was held in 2012.
According
to him, he participated in the promo and was called through MTN line 180 on
October 10, 2012 that he had won N2m in the Ultimate Wonder Promo and
that on October 12 of the same year he got a text message informing him of
the presentation ceremony fixed for October 19 at the Nicon Luxury Hotel,
Abuja.
The
complainant had claimed that during the said ceremony, he was presented with a
dummy cheque of N2m with his name on it, interviewed and paraded before the
media and the world as a winner of the said amount.
He
recounted further that he was stunned to receive another call from MTN line 180
on November 2, 2012 that his winning was N150,000 and was thereafter given a
Verve ATM card for that amount.
MTN,
in its response to the Council’s intervention, denied the claim of Omeje,
saying that he was from the on-set informed that his winning was N150,000 and
that the complainant deceitfully presented himself when winners in the N2m
category were called forward on the day of the prize presentation.
The
company had stated further that Omeje’s antics was discovered at the
verification of winners, which was done after the ceremony and he was
thereafter contacted through its 180 line on his misrepresentation pursuant to
which he apologised.
As
a result of the development, the CPC in a statement said it demanded for the
call data of the communications of the 10th of October 2012 when Omeje was
informed of his winnings of N150,000, but MTN failed.
The
statement signed by the CPC Spokesman, Mr Abiodun Obimuyiwa revealed that the
company refused and neglected to comply with the request made both in 2012
and 2016.
It
said, “The CPC, in its Orders, frowned at the consistent refusal of MTN to
provide the call data records evidencing details of communication with the
complainant, declaring that in the absence of this material evidence which is
solely in the possession of the respondent the CPC must resolve the issue in
favour of the complainant.”
“The
process of the MTN Ultimate Wonder Promotion whereby the verification exercise
was conducted after winners were identified, declared and winnings presented
publicly is grossly flawed, lacking in transparency, inequitable and apparently
calculated to deceive consumers.”
“The
CPC, on the strength of these observations, therefore directed MTN to pay
within 14 days of receipt of Order, the sum of N1,850, 000 being the unpaid
part of the N2m prize won by the complainant in the 2012 MTN Ultimate Wonder
Promotion”.
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