News
MTN Renews Fight against Fraudsters
MTN has again alerted its subscribers to the activities of fraudsters who are currently contacting unsuspecting subscribers across the country in attempts to dupe them.
Wale Goodluck, corporate services executive, MTN Nigeria said that fraudsters seeking to dupe members of the public have progressed from sending text messages to calling up unsuspecting subscribers, and informing them they have won cash and other gifts.
In addition, unsuspecting members of the public are being asked to part with some form of consideration in the form of cash or airtime, in order to redeem their gifts. In many instances, victims have also been asked to provide personal and financial information.
It will be recalled that this is the second press conference this year that MTN Nigeria has called to address this issue.
“This is a new twist to existing fraudulent schemes wherein certain individuals rely on text messages to attempt to con unsuspecting subscribers out of their money. Calls are now being made, usually with withheld numbers by these individuals who are intent on luring subscribers to part with money or credit or give out information that can be used to dupe them,” said Akingbade.
He said the company had received a growing number of queries from subscribers seeking to find out the authenticity of such calls, emails and texts by people masquerading as MTN officials. “We wish to tell our valued customers that they should not fall prey to the antics of these fraudsters,” Goodluck said.
MTN officials, he stressed, would not request subscribers to send credit to them as part of the procedure for redeeming prizes won in a promotion. “Our officials will not ask you for personal information such as your account number, bank name and ATM number or PIN in order to process your winning in any of our promos,” he said.
According to him, MTN places high premium on the safety and well-being of its numerous subscribers and is committed to protecting them from the illegal activities of the con artists. “We are working with security operatives in the country to tackle this challenge. But more importantly, we have put in place a number of measures, including radio jingles in the three major languages and pidgin English, SMS warnings to our customers and advertorials in the national papers, to sensitize subscribers to this development and raise awareness level in order to ensure that these fraudsters are not successful in their illegal business. That is the best way to stop them.”
Bola Akingbade, chief marketing officer, on his part stressed that MTN as a matter of policy does not send text messages to winners of its promos, adding that instead; promo winners are usually called and directed to the nearest MTN office to redeem their prizes. In addition, he said the names of winners are published in national newspapers and on the company’s official website – www.mtnonline.com. He stressed that the company would never request any consideration, personal or bank information from any member of the public as a condition for receiving a prize.
According to Kola Oyeyemi, general manager, Brand and Consumer Marketing, MTN will not be discouraged by these criminal activities and will continue to launch various promotions in order to ‘reward and delight’ its customers. He however cautioned that the public should pay close attention to the conditions of each promotion and only respond to invitations to MTN offices.
News
Legit.ng, Shade of Life Foundation Partner to Advance Autism Awareness in Nigeria
Legit.ng recently joined forces with the Shade of Life Foundation to become a voice of autism, and drive advocacy for improved media support during Autism Awareness Month.
Conversations around media support exploration was led by Joseph Omotayo, head of Department for Human Interest Stories at Legit.ng, and Dr. Eziafakaku Nwokolo, founder and CEO of the Shade of Life Foundation,
This partnership is a response to the concerns raised by organizations like the Shade of Life Foundation about the level of support received from the media in discussing autism as a disability.
While other disabilities may receive attention, autism, with its critical developmental implications often lacks adequate representation in mainstream media.
Recognizing the importance of addressing these concerns, Legit.ng took proactive steps by integrating itself into the essence of autism awareness.
It facilitated a one-hour workshop with Dr. Nwokolo, the founder of the foundation, to deepen our understanding of autism, its various spectrums, and the language boundaries associated with it.
Other steps we took in advocating autism awareness in the media, can be seen in our attached press release.
Legit.ng believes that by amplifying the voices of autism and advocating for better media representation, we can contribute to creating a more inclusive and accepting society for all.
News
As Nigeria Struggle, Tanzania Turns off Power Plants Due to Excess Supply
While 85 per cent of Nigeria is in darkness, Tanzania, an African country has shut down five hydroelectric stations in a bid to reduce excess electricity in the national grid.
Kassim Majaliwa, prime minister, Tanzania, has said the main plant, Mwalimu Nyerere Hydroelectric Station, alone generated enough electricity to power major cities, including Dar es Salaam, the country’s commercial hub.
It is the first time Tanzania, which suffers chronic power shortages, has closed hydroelectric stations due to excess production.
“We have turned off all these stations because the demand is low and the electricity production is too much, we have no allocation now,” an official from state-run power company, Tanesco, said.
The 2,115MW Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam is said to be almost filled with water following heavy rains that started early this year.
Meanwhile, while the country has an installed capacity of 1,938MW and the grid installed capacity of 1,899MW, Nigeria which has an installed capacity of 13,000MW is struggling to electrify 85 per cent of its electricity consumers.
News
President Tinubu Appoints Jim Ovia as Student Loan Fund Chairman
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Jim Ovia, renowned banker and businessman, as the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
Ovia’s appointment is contained in a State House statement titled, ‘President Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as Chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund,’ and issued on Friday by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the President, Media & Publicity.
The statement noted that “Ovia is the founder of one of Nigeria’s leading banks and a respected business leader, with a surfeit of efforts and benefaction towards nurturing and empowering young Nigerians.
“He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana.”
The National Student Loan Programme is a pivotal intervention that seeks to guarantee sustainable higher education and functional skill development for all Nigerian students and youths.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the implementing institution of this innovation, demands excellence and Nigerians of the finest professional ilk to guide and manage.
“The President believes Mr. Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience and professional stature to this role to advance the all-important vision of ensuring that no Nigerian student suffers a capricious end to their pursuit of higher education over a lack of funds,” the statement partly read.
Ovia’s appointment will also ensure “that Nigerian youths, irrespective of who they are, have access to higher education and skills that will make them productive members of society and core contributors to the knowledge-based global economy of this century.”
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