There’s no fact deduction in PDP-Oyinlola case – MTN

Leader in the mobile communication in the country, MTN Nigeria, has declared it did not deduct facts from its submission to the security agencies on the case concerning MTN by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Reacting to some news report on the case on Thursday, July 26, 2012, MTN through its Corporate Service Executive, Mr. Wale Goodluck, lamented what he described as “inaccurate and biased reports” over the issue, which alleged that its officials recanted their position on the ownership of two lines linked to the election dispute in Osun State.

The matter, he said, has precipitated a series of spurious allegations against MTN by the PDP (Osun Chapter) and the politician and former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

He also said the reports were a deliberate misrepresentation of the information given to the Police by MTN officials in Abuja on Tuesday, July 24, 2012, in respect of a petition filed against the company by Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

“We would like to state categorically that our officials did not recant earlier information given in respect of the ownership of the two phone lines for which details of ownership and call records were requested from MTN. We have provided consistent information to the authorities as contained in our records at every stage that the information has been requested. For the avoidance of doubt, we explained to the Police that since the SIM registration exercise, the ownership of the lines for which information was requested has  changed and we gave the Police the most recent records of the individuals to which those lines are currently registered.  We are not required by law, to verify documents presented to us as proof of identity by those who register their SIMs. We do not have the expertise to do so.” he said.

According to him, the harmonization exercise between the NCC’s SIM registration records and operators who participated in the exercise had not been concluded and as such information held by operators is technically incomplete.

He explained that it is for all the aforementioned reasons that any information given to authorized security organizations by MTN, all carry bold disclaimers, clearly stating that MTN cannot confirm the authenticity of the information provided.

Goodluck expressed disappointment that the details of statements given to the Police could be so easily obtained and then deliberately misrepresented in the public domain, stressing that this breach itself was indicative of bad faith on the part of those who stand to benefit from such misinformation.

Additionally, he said the MTN officials who honoured the invitation of the Police to provide further information and perspective on the matter did not make any statements that differed from their previous statements at all material times.

Equally, he said the company is apolitical and non-partisan, and as such has no reason to act in any unethical manner as being alleged by the politician. Noting that MTN had made strenuous effort to explain the processes and procedure of their business and the reasons why all customer information and records are routinely presented in a particular way.

“MTN is guided by strict corporate governance codes and we take grave exception to this continuous insinuation of unethical or improper conduct against us by the plaintiff. It can never be in our interest to misrepresent facts or falsify information. We have provided all the necessary records to the requisite security agencies in accordance with laid down procedure,” he said.

He urged the media to always seek to ensure that the facts that they report are accurate and, in accordance with their professional ethics, strive to hear the other side of the story before they publish such sensitive information in the future.

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