By Ayo Kehinde
The Minister of Communications, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami has directed the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, to stop the MTN from carrying out its planned banking charges on subscribers, starting Monday, October 21.
According to text messages sent to out during the week, the MTN had notified subscribers that from tomorrow, Monday, it would deduct N4 charge per 20 seconds on USSD access to banking services: “Yello, please note that from Oct 21, we will charge N4 per second for USSD access to banking services. Thank you”, said the network service provider in its message.
In a statement, Mrs Uwa Suleiman, spokesperson to the minister, said; “the minister is unaware of this development and has hereby directed the sector regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission ensures the operator suspends such plans until the Honourable Minister is fully and properly briefed”
As at the time of going to press, MTN was yet to comply with the directive: At exactly 4:10 pm on Sunday, it resent the text to subscribers
The Press release reads below:
DISCONTINUATION OF ALLEGED USSD SERVICE CHARGE BY MTN NIGERIA
The attention of the Federal Ministry of Communications has been drawn to the viral text message allegedly sent by the Mobile Network Operator MTN Nigeria and other Mobile Operators notifying subscribers of a four naira (N4:00) charge per 20 seconds on USSD access to banking services from the 21st of October 2019.
The office of the Honourable Minister of Communications Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami FNCS, FBCS, FIIM is unaware of this development and has hereby directed the sector regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) ensures the operator suspends such plans until the Honourable Minister is fully and properly briefed.
Signed
Uwa Suleiman (Mrs)
Spokesperson to the Honourable Minister of Communications
20th October 2019
