By Emma Elebeke

TWENTY-Seven year old Gift Azubuike and Samson Oduwole, a three hundred level Micro Biology student of University of Lagos were going on their usual business, until about 2 pm last Monday, when their names were called as N10million winners in the ongoing MTN customer reward programme.

Gift, an orphan from Afikpo South in Ebonyi State and Samson an indigent student of Unilag said they never did anything different from what other MTN subscribers do after registering their MTN Sim cards before the unusual invitation call came, inviting them for the presentation of their cheques at MTN office in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Expressing his joy, Samson said I’m still as to whether this cheque truly belong to me, because when I got the call yesterday, I thought it was a 419 call. But now, I know it is real.”

On what he will do with the money, he said ”I will pay the 10% as tithe to God, fix seven million myself and then the remaining 2milion to my siblings, who have been very supportive all through my trying moments.”

Shouldering burden

For Gift, ”I will pray pay my tithe and asked to God give me wisdom on how to spend the remaining nine million. As a hair dresser, I have been managing with a friend but I think this is an opportunity to open my own saloon in a bigger way and also take care of my younger ones, whom I have been shouldering their burden since my parents died. I’m thankful to my friend, who convinced me to answer this call because my brother nearly stopped me from coming, saying that it must be a 419 call.

I feel happy now and have seen that the call is real I wish that everybody will be using MTN.”

Meanwhile, about 10 other lucky winners also got a cheque of N100,000 each at the occasion.

Presenting the cheques, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN, Bola Akingbola said explained that the gesture was MTN’s way of saying thank you to customers who have been supportive to her over the past one decade of its presence in Nigeria.

Apart from rewarding customers in cash, he said that the company was committed to providing quality of service to its numerous subscribers across the country.

”This is part of activities marking our ten years of unbreakable service to the good people of Nigeria. We have been able to connect friends, families and relatives in our 11 years of of operation in Nigeria and we felt that it is necessary to say thank you,” he added.

The MTN CMO thanked the Nigerian Communication Commission for providing the level playing field for the operators to showcase sell their services to the people.

He however pledged the determination of MTN to redeem all the promises made to the customers.

It will be recalled that MTN had promised to give out N100,000 to 100 subscribers every ten days and N100 million to 100 people every ten days as part of activities marking its 10th anniversary.

Also speaking, the representative of NCC, Mr. Okechukwu Nwaeke commended MTN for living up to its promise.

”NCC is very impressed for the huge support the service providers have been giving in the ongoing Sim card registration exercise in the country.”

He used the occasion to advice all subscribers to avoid late registration of their Sim cards on or before the September 28th dateline.

He also warned those selling registered Sim cards to desist from that as it is a criminal offence, and advised subscribers to ignore them, even as he condemned registration by proxy.

Also speaking, the Head Consumer Protection, Consumer Protection Council, Mrs. Obidike Ngozika also commended MTN for redeeming its pledges to the subscribers and and pledged CPC commitment to giving consumers all the support they need.

”What MTN is doing is unimaginable. I thank MTN for rewarding customers loyalty. We will ensure that the cheques presented to the recipients translate into cash,,” she promised. Obidike further advised recipients to make good use of the money.