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Mtel workers suspend strike, back Senate probe on NITEL, Mtel
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Workers of Nigeria Mobile Telecommunication (Mtel) have suspended their one day old strike over non-payment of N250 million housing, education allowances and April salary.
The strike was suspended following Transcorp’s decision to pay the housing and education allowances as well as April salary to the workers, says Suleiman Awwallo, president of the senior staff association.
Meanwhile the workers have expressed their support for the Senate Committee on Communication on the probe of NITEL and Mtel under the last administration as well as the privatisation of NITEL and Mtel.
It would be recalled that the workers on commencement of the strike on Monday had faulted the N5 billion investments claimed by Transnational Corporation (Transcorp) to have been injected into both NITEL and Mtel.
According to him, the workers’ representatives at the meeting agreed to shelve the strike “based on mutual understanding that Transcorp has redeemed its pledge by paying the housing allowances, education allowances and April salary. They have sent in the money into Mtel’s account while Mtel on its part has sent individual cheques to various banks.
“We are still awaiting clearances from the banks. But the understanding is that by the end of three days, if those monies are not actually cashed, the strike will resume. Because they have done it once they have paid our monies into the bank before and they recalled it when government made some pronouncement against the sales.”
Awwallo who lamented over the fate of the workers since the change of ownership of NITEL/Mtel, noted that the workers are the least paid in the telecommunication industry as against the practice in other leading telecoms operators in the country.
“It is obvious that Mtel and NITEL staff are the least paid in the telecoms industry today in Nigeria. Notwithstanding, the main issue is even though these staffs are making sacrifices base on the situation on ground, this owner should live up to their own obligation. If they expect staff of Mtel to perform, they should also perform. If they fulfil their side of the obligation why won’t we.”
On the planned probe of NITEL/Mtel by the Senate Committee on communication, Awwallo said “We really support that probe. We want that probe to be done. We want it done because a lot of things have happened from Pentascope even up to today that Transcorp has taken over, we want them to be revealed.
“We need to know where some of the money that were gotten from this place where they taken into. If they say they have invested the money into this place, let them spell them one by one; in what area and in which aspect.
On what to do to revive the company, he said “government knows what to do. We have stated our cases several times that we appealed to government to quickly bring someone that can take over this business from Transcorp and inject the necessary fund and expertise for this place will be reinstated and bounce back like it used to be.”
Awwallo noted that a lot of security companies are being owed by Transcorp and that the company is presently battling with its landlord who on Tuesday pasted a court injunction to impound all the vehicles belonging to the Mtel.
According to him, the official vehicle of the chief executive officer of Mtel, Ladi Williams was impounded before the management raised an emergency draft to salvage the situation.
The strike was suspended following Transcorp’s decision to pay the housing and education allowances as well as April salary to the workers, says Suleiman Awwallo, president of the senior staff association.
Meanwhile the workers have expressed their support for the Senate Committee on Communication on the probe of NITEL and Mtel under the last administration as well as the privatisation of NITEL and Mtel.
It would be recalled that the workers on commencement of the strike on Monday had faulted the N5 billion investments claimed by Transnational Corporation (Transcorp) to have been injected into both NITEL and Mtel.
According to him, the workers’ representatives at the meeting agreed to shelve the strike “based on mutual understanding that Transcorp has redeemed its pledge by paying the housing allowances, education allowances and April salary. They have sent in the money into Mtel’s account while Mtel on its part has sent individual cheques to various banks.
“We are still awaiting clearances from the banks. But the understanding is that by the end of three days, if those monies are not actually cashed, the strike will resume. Because they have done it once they have paid our monies into the bank before and they recalled it when government made some pronouncement against the sales.”
Awwallo who lamented over the fate of the workers since the change of ownership of NITEL/Mtel, noted that the workers are the least paid in the telecommunication industry as against the practice in other leading telecoms operators in the country.
“It is obvious that Mtel and NITEL staff are the least paid in the telecoms industry today in Nigeria. Notwithstanding, the main issue is even though these staffs are making sacrifices base on the situation on ground, this owner should live up to their own obligation. If they expect staff of Mtel to perform, they should also perform. If they fulfil their side of the obligation why won’t we.”
On the planned probe of NITEL/Mtel by the Senate Committee on communication, Awwallo said “We really support that probe. We want that probe to be done. We want it done because a lot of things have happened from Pentascope even up to today that Transcorp has taken over, we want them to be revealed.
“We need to know where some of the money that were gotten from this place where they taken into. If they say they have invested the money into this place, let them spell them one by one; in what area and in which aspect.
On what to do to revive the company, he said “government knows what to do. We have stated our cases several times that we appealed to government to quickly bring someone that can take over this business from Transcorp and inject the necessary fund and expertise for this place will be reinstated and bounce back like it used to be.”
Awwallo noted that a lot of security companies are being owed by Transcorp and that the company is presently battling with its landlord who on Tuesday pasted a court injunction to impound all the vehicles belonging to the Mtel.
According to him, the official vehicle of the chief executive officer of Mtel, Ladi Williams was impounded before the management raised an emergency draft to salvage the situation.
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