MTN to pay consumer N1.84m over flawed promo

The Federal Government has directed MTN Communications Limited to pay N1.85 million to one of the winners of its Ultimate Wonder Promo for lack of due diligence.
A statement from the Comsumer Protection Council (CPC) on Wednesday indicated that the order was issued to the MTN as a result of a complaint brought by Mr. Chukwuma Fidelis Omeje.
Omeje had complained to the CPC that he was underpaid by the MTN after he was declared winner of N2 million in the said sales promotion, which was held in 2012.
Omeje said he participated in the promo and was called through MTN line 180 on October 10, 2012 that he had won N2million in the Ultimate Wonder Promo and that on October 12 of the same year he got a text message informing him of the presentation ceremony fixed for October 19 at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja.
The complainant said he was presented with a dummy cheque of N2million at the ceremony before the media but he later received N150,000.
The statement said the MTN denied the claim, saying that he was from the on-set informed that his winning was N150,000 and that the complainant deceitfully presented himself when winners in the N2million category were called forward on the day of the prize presentation.
CPC demanded for the call data of the communications of the 10th of October 2012 when Omeje was informed of his winnings of N150,000, but MTN failed, and as a result ordered to pay Omeje the balance of the N2 million.
The Council’s Director General, Mrs. Dupe Atoki, was said in the statement to have reaffirmed the obligation of businesses to desist from promos that are not honest, transparent, equitable and faithful or designed to deceive consumers.