The trio of former Owerri branch chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Ndionyenma Nwankwo; Imo State Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Adolphus Ebubedike and President General, Emii Federated Women Organisation, Mrs. Lauretta Madu, on behalf of 351 other subscribers, have filed a suit in an Owerri High Court against MTN Nigeria.
They are claiming, among others, N3 billion being “damages and compensation” to them for the poor services rendered by the telecommunications firm.
Briefing journalists at the weekend in Owerri, Nwankwo said they were praying to be paid the above stated damages and compensation, in view of what they had suffered in the hands of the company.
He added that they gathered and registered complaints of over 350 subscribers in the state before arriving at their decision to sue the company.
Nwankwo lamented: “Instead of services improving, they worsened. It is no longer uncommon to hear about dropped calls, lack of connections, wrong connections, connections without voicing, lack of delivery of text messages, inability to recharge phones, difficulty or lack of data/internet connections, existing lines not available, among others. “The most traumatising is that in spite of these, the provider will always charge normal exorbitant rates and without apology or explanation for the non-delivery or delivery failures.”
According to him, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) fined the network last year to the tune of N1.2 billion at N2.5 million each day as penalty, but nothing got to the subscribers, the real victims of their poor services.
Nwankwo added: “Therefore, this suit has become an important one for all Nigerians. We are demanding for improved services consistent with the best global practices, which we want the court to declare that we are entitled to.
“Secondly, an order against MTN to desist from registering or adding new lines/subscribers to its network until there is a corresponding improvement in its facilities, structures and systems.
“Thirdly, an order to pay the sum of N3 billion as compensation to the 351 claimants in this suit”, adding: “This is a test case. The other network providers such as Airtel, Glo, and Etisalat should watch out because we may also make same demands on them.