The staff of MTN Nigeria have reportedly been told to stay back at home after the company received a warning of a planned protest by Nigerian students. According to information uncovered by Nairametrics, some university students and groups intend to picket the company’s headquarter located at Falomo, Lagos State.
MTN Nigeria was reportedly informed by the protesters last week that they (the protesters) will be holding a protest at the company’s premises this week. However, the date wasn’t categorically stated. Meanwhile, there are strong indications that the protest will hold today, which is why MTN instructed staff members to stay back at home until 10 am when an update will be circulated.
Note that although staff members were at work on Monday, the company’s buses were not parked in the complex due to fears and uncertainty regarding when the protest will take place. MTN Nigeria had experienced similar protests which ended in damage of properties.
Why the protest? The Students and groups plan to protest the killings of Nigerians in South Africa. Nigerians and other nationalities have been a target in xenophobic attacks by some South Africans who are enraged over the lack of jobs available to them.
These South Africans believe foreigners are taking away all the jobs. This is why they are calling for other Africans to vacate their country. The unrest has led to the killings of some non-South Africans within the country and the destruction of properties belonging to other Africans.
What’s the link? MTN Nigeria is a subsidiary of MTN Group, a South African telecommunications company. This could be the reason the Nigerian students and groups have chosen the company as their destination for protest against the killings.
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Update:
MTN Nigeria’s staff have been informed to resume back to work after an earlier instruction required them to stay home due to a planned protest by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). According to the latest development, the company believes the protest is unlikely to happen after all.
Note that as at the time of updating this report, none of the company’s premises across the country had witnessed any gathering of protesters. This is interesting considering that the protests were, indeed, scheduled to happen. Security outfits were even informed by NANS about the impending protests.
Canceled protest in Kano: Nairametrics has learned that a protest in Kano was canceled by the Department of State Service (DSS) due to the tense security situation in the State.
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