I received the email i copied over one week ago and since then i have been making calls back and forth with no success.In the email,phone numbers were included and i made contact but it was a hopeless situation,I am publishing this email as the last resort and hoping that it will fetch Mr Kunle the help he needs.
Read the mail and the responses of those i called.
What is going on in MTN?
Read the mail and the responses of those i called.
What is going on in MTN?
''.........Mr Kunle Awobodu works for Mtn Nigeria , he
was seconded to Mtn Iran since 2006 . He rose to the position of the CFO in the
company in Iran, reporting to Mr Nazir ,
the group CFO in South Africa .
Sometimes in March , the Iranian officials
served him a letter written in Farsi , to appear for interrogation . After the
interrogation , he was told that they have nothing against him and that he has
done nothing , but demanded for his passport , telling him that he can not
leave the country until his boss , Nazir comes to answer some question .
The first point of call for Mr Awobodu was the
Nigerian embassy in Iran . He gave them the brief of the whole event ., but
trust our embassies across the world , the one in Iran is even worse . Nothing
was done .
After some pressure from Mr Awobodu on the embassy to at least write a letter in response to the brief he
gave them , our ambassador says South Africa embassy will sort it out . I don’t understand how working for a particular company automatically makes you a citizen of the country that owns the company .
After some pressure from Mr Awobodu on the embassy to at least write a letter in response to the brief he
gave them , our ambassador says South Africa embassy will sort it out . I don’t understand how working for a particular company automatically makes you a citizen of the country that owns the company .
On the part of Mtn , internal investigation
was done and found Mr Nazir to be guilty of malpractices , he was asked to resign in order to save him
from the claws of the Iranian government , while Mr Awobodu who is in hostage
over this issue was an easy substitute for Mtn , since they know Nigerian
government is so lame about anything that concerns their citizen . Nobody will
talk , nobody will ask them questions.
Mrs Amina Oyagbola is fully aware of this issue
as well as Mr Wale Goodluck ,but because of the sensitivity of the matter ,they
decided to keep quiet . Mrs Abike Dabiri’s office is also in the know of this,
to call the ambassador to order .
I have often heard that multinational
companies are bad ,but South African companies are worse . Here,Nigerians
are used against each other . Other Nigerians in the company in Iran were
”settled” indirectly so that they will not form a team to fight this injustice
.
One was suddenly promoted while the other one has such an incredible increase in salary . You can not fight a management that has just promoted you , neither will you querry them when your pay cheque figure suddenly doubles . To crown it all , they are preparing to send in another Nigerian to go and take over the position of a man in hostage without clearing the mess .
One was suddenly promoted while the other one has such an incredible increase in salary . You can not fight a management that has just promoted you , neither will you querry them when your pay cheque figure suddenly doubles . To crown it all , they are preparing to send in another Nigerian to go and take over the position of a man in hostage without clearing the mess .
Here are some numbers you can call to verify
this story .
When you call , kindly ask them why Mr Awobodu
has not been able to leave Iran since his contract ended .
What did Mr Nazir do that MTN is hiding?
+278321******* (Mr Ferdi)....
I called Mr Ferdi and said he couldnt hear me after i explained the Awobodu situation to him and asked me to send him an email.i asked for his email and the phone went off...I called him again after a few days and he said he was not the person to be called for this matter and asked me to send him an email and he would give me the phone numbers to contact.I sent him the mail and it bounced back,I tried calling him back to tell him there was something wrong with the email address but he didnt pick my calls again.
call mtn nigeri
I called Mr Ferdi and said he couldnt hear me after i explained the Awobodu situation to him and asked me to send him an email.i asked for his email and the phone went off...I called him again after a few days and he said he was not the person to be called for this matter and asked me to send him an email and he would give me the phone numbers to contact.I sent him the mail and it bounced back,I tried calling him back to tell him there was something wrong with the email address but he didnt pick my calls again.
call mtn nigeri
+2348032*****
( Modupe Kadri)
He said he was the least person to be contacted on this issue and said ''once he is out of Nigeria he is no longer answerable to Mtn Nigeria.anything that has to do with any staff has to go through south africa..if there is anything going on you need to talk to south africa,anyone in Nigeria will not know because that is how it is,a Nigerian staff will not know.I have heard of the name you mentioned but i didnt meet him as a staff in Nigeria when i joined MTN.Call South Africa;even if anyone in Nigeria knows anyting,it is out of our jurisdiction''
.
+2348032*******
(Wale Goodluck).I have called him severally but he does not pick calls.He said he was the least person to be contacted on this issue and said ''once he is out of Nigeria he is no longer answerable to Mtn Nigeria.anything that has to do with any staff has to go through south africa..if there is anything going on you need to talk to south africa,anyone in Nigeria will not know because that is how it is,a Nigerian staff will not know.I have heard of the name you mentioned but i didnt meet him as a staff in Nigeria when i joined MTN.Call South Africa;even if anyone in Nigeria knows anyting,it is out of our jurisdiction''
.
I hope someone intervenes quickly on the case of Mr Kunle Awobodu,his family wants him back home!
Nigeria would be better off without embassies and ambassadors. For the love of God, wtf is this? Like u rightly pointed out stella, Nigerians will continue to be used, they will continue to be maltreated for as long as our govt continue to act senseless.
ReplyDeleteVery big shame to Nigeria! As usual, our embassies are very lame. Even if he's guilty of anything, Nigeria shld intervene and see that he is tried. And yes Stella, South african companies have no respect for Nigeria and her staff. I so agree with the part that said they turn nigerian. Staff against themselves. S/A sees naija staff as so money hungry and their government as money thirsty, so they commit whatever crime they can to suck our money. I've told u to run a post on Company malpractices in naija, ull be shocked. Ever heard of these fraudulent ones in naija called VIP EXPRESS, RVI etc, they dupe unsuspecting pple of millions using their fellow nigerians. Also treating their staff like shit, using nigerian staff too. Sad. Lack of jobs
ReplyDeletewhat a shame, others countries take our citizens for granted, Nigeria is indeed a BIG FOR NOTHING GIANT. Look at how they kill our people anyhow in turkey, indonisia china and all that! spits on the floor.
ReplyDelete*OTHER countries* not *OTHERS countries*
DeleteThis story does not add up.
ReplyDeletePassport seized after it was declared he had no case to answer.
Can Mr Awobodu state clearly what he has been accused of? Surely MTN must have communicated his offence to him if he's being replaced.
MTN Nigeria may not be able to help him since he has been reporting directly to MTN SA, the parent company.
He needs to tell the story as it is and involve lawyers.
instead of u to contribute meanifully and sympathetically. u r here looking for a story that adds up. how i wish is u or ur husband that is in d mans shoes, am sure the story will add up by then, heartless fellow.
ReplyDeleteHeartful idiot,
DeleteLet's see how far your meaningful contribution and sympathy will take him.
Instead of you to face facts, you are allowing unecessary sentiments to cloud your reasoning.
Oponu, keep wishing misfortune on your miserable life
Madam,try n reach Abike Dabiri!!
ReplyDeleteand the south African company is doing what biko.
ReplyDeletethe problem with our high commissions is not strictly with the staffs but with the people leading them.most times politicians are given those posts as compensation or a way to keep them out of the political mix in Nigeria so most times they treat the job with indifference.
ReplyDeletei wonder why real and proven technocrats are not given the job..
while i acknowledge the failure of mtn and Nigerian Govt what of the NIG community in iran surely they can protest at least?
'Real and proven technocrats'..........Luca, u insulted Nigerians when u said 'no wonder NIG certificates aren't won't the papers they are printed on' Generalisation as such is unpardonable! I was greatly pained by that
Delete'Real and proven technocrats'..........Luca, u insulted Nigerians when u said 'no wonder NIG certificates aren't WORTH the papers they are printed on' Generalisation as such is unpardonable! I was greatly pained by that
DeleteNigerian government dose not care about it's people, the embassies are just there! Europeans or americans would have gone to Iran to rescue their dog!
ReplyDeleteThe politics in mtn is filthy, trust me.
ReplyDeleteStella, try reaching or should I say Tweeting @AJStream and @FemiOke to drum up noise and exposure, that way, it would become an International Issue once the world knows that this man is being held against his will. Hope this info helps.
ReplyDelete@DSmartNigerian. Let's get this man back to his family, safe and sound.
BTW - Is President Goodluck aware of this?
Shoo! I dey fear to comment sef!but pls mtn nigeria he is our own brother nt a south african, help FREE MR KUNLE AWOBODU
ReplyDeleteDollface
I really don't know what to say in this matter because i am so angry at the shabby treatment to Nigerians abroad. These foreigners come into our country and we accord them their due respect, but they refuse to reciprocate the same gesture, because our leaders have sold our birthrights to the highest bidder!
ReplyDeleteOur embassies???????mschewwwwww!
I pray someone who knows about this matter would come in and help this man out the country.
Such a shame. May God in his infinite mercy continue to protect this man. Iran is a terrible place to be at the moment.
ReplyDeleteby the way people will only tell you what you want to hear. perhaps there was something shady going on there. Nigerians know how to misbehave very well and are money hungry even when they have been blessed with privileged position and money they want to abuse it. when you carry yourself outside the shores of Nigeria, you MUST BE VERY VERY CAREFUL BECAUSE IT IS NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL.
@anon 10
ReplyDeletenooo,if i did imply that i do apologise o
however i am speaking from experience of studying a bit in NIG before travelling abroad.not only do they not acknowledge our certificates,once they know you are NIG they will automatically presume you are intellectually inferior or there is something dodgy about your certificates.that is why you will find most Nigerian undergrad do 1 year of college before uni or a 1 year pre degree
i missed out on the course i really wanted in undergraduate precisely because of this and i know many others who did as well.
No luca, u didn't imply it, but said it under that Kwam 1 and Dayo's post. Even if the west disregard our certificate, must WE devalue ourselves? Certificate doesn't always justify intelligence. Let's be mindful of our words less FFK become a saint in that aspect
DeleteThank you to the blog visitor who has made contact with the Nigerian Embassy in South Africa and the Minister of foreign affairs.....hopefully there will be help for Mr Awobodu.............God bless you Blog visitor!
ReplyDeleteStella, there is more to this story than they aren't telling you. As much as I want to sympathize with Mr Awobudu, I can't. Nigerians will take an assignment in hell fire if it paid a little more. Who accepts an assignment in Iran of all places? Why didn't they send a South African citizen? The same Iran that is under heavy sanctions by the civilized world?
ReplyDeleteMr Awobudu didn't think about his own welfare when he greedily accepted the assignment and he didn't share any of his fat pay package with us when things were good. Why should we care when things go wrong as they surely will in a cesspool like Iran?
And for all you fools working at MTN, I hope you learn a lesson from this. Value yourself and value your life. A company will only treat you as badly as you let it treat you. I know a South African that was offered the CFO role of MTN Nigeria several years ago and he turned it down because he valued his life. Not anything that glitters is gold.
there is no government in nigeria. only a fool will think, assume or believe that nigeria has a government.as a nigerian citizen if you don't know somebody who knows somebody only God can help you. it is incredibly pathetic. may Mr Awobodu receive his freedom soon.
ReplyDeletethe excesses of south african companies operating in nigeria has gotten out of hand and they even rub it on our faces with impunity in our own country it is so sad what can befall a people like nigerians who esteem money above everything else, they will eventually become slaves to money and will be duly treated as less than human beings.
ReplyDelete@ anon September 10, 2013 at 12:53 PM best comment.
ReplyDeleteanon 12.53pm, you lied at the end. No South African was ever offered the CFO position in MTN Nigeria and he/she refused. That one na big lie. positions in MTN Nigeria at that level are hot cake at the group level. eVEN Sifiso himself willingly relocated here for a while after all,what is unsafe in Lagos if you have lived in Joburg? It is not like the CFO is going to be travelling to Borno or Yobe states? Niaja bad but at such levels,no sane technocrat in the MTN group will think twice. Not to talk of the plenty deals and runs wey dem dey share for that place.
ReplyDeleteMore importantly,there is more to this story as the group CFO in question recently resigned with immediate effect and for personal reasons. So the shit is about to hit the fan for Mr. Awobodu. His family needs to pray and pray hard.
#one love.
@ Comment #26, why would I lie anonymously? What is the gain in that? I know this for a fact. He's a white South African and he wasn't even working for MTN (he was an external candidate). I won't give more details because I don't want to identify him or myself. Now it's possible that the offer was for another big telcom company in Nigeria (I think it was MTN but I may have misheard) but that doesn't change my message. Not every opportunity that glitters is gold. Value your life!
ReplyDeleteYello All,
ReplyDeleteI work with MTN Nigeria and I can assure you that MTN Nigeria management has taken up this issue.
Be rest assured that this case will be properly followed up.
Regards,
Nawa o. MTN sha. They can treat their staffs like shit especially their contract staffs. So i wont be surprised if they do nothing about this. Even if he is guilty of something you cant just ignore him. Which one of us will be getting almost a million or even more than a month and not fly to even syria right now to work. Workis hard to get especially good ones. Its not been greedy. If he hustle for 10 years he can retire/resign and use the money he made to settle down in naija n enjoy the rest of his days on earth.
ReplyDeleteIt was not MTN. MTN will never i repeat,never employ an external candidate to the post of CFO even MTN Swaziland talk less of MTN Nigeria(the biggest cash cow). No such chance.
ReplyDeleteThis is sad, whatever he has done, he deserve an audience from the nigerian government
ReplyDeleteThis situation is so much bigger than its been portrait on here. There are a lot relevant questions to be answered by MTN.
ReplyDelete1. How did the company secured the Iran contract in 2005, despite the contract been previously awarded to Turkcell?
2. What International law has been broken in lieu of currency transfer in and out Iran considering that the country is under International sanctions because of its enrichment of Uranium for alleged Nuclear facilities?
3. Why did company accepted the Group CFO, Nasir Patel resignation while there's internal investigation going on about movement of large sum of money out of MTNIran which is jointly owned by MTNMaurius and Iran Electric Development Company.
4. Why is Mr. Awobodu has not been charged by the Iran Authority who has restricted his movement from leaving Iran after his contact has ended in March.
5. Iran govt has no international right to hold other National Passport without charges for such a long time. But has Nigerian Authority in Iran requests for explanation of this?
Tune in for more developments.