MTN Ghana’s CEO, Stephen Blewett, has denied stealing customer data, a complaint he has faced in every market he has worked in.
This comes amid a wave of similar concerns in Nigeria, where subscribers are pointing fingers at the country’s largest telco with over 80 million users and other operators.
Customers on Tuesday flooded the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission with emails and messages, demanding a probe into unexplained data consumption.
MTN, who spoke on the matter, denied any system to siphon data, blaming increased usage on shifts from 3G and 4G to 5G networks and heavier video streaming.
At MTN House in Accra, Blewett addressed the widespread concern that data vanishes due to deliberate tampering.
“I’ve heard ‘You’re stealing my data’ in every country I’ve worked—not just at MTN,” he said, reflecting on his long industry tenure, adding, “I swear to God as my witness: we have no reason to steal your data.”
Blewett opined that there’s no financial incentive for such actions, noting his bonus depends on declared revenue.
“If I steal data, I can’t report it—I’d lose my bonus,” he said, seeking to dispel notions of profit-driven manipulation by MTN or its peers.
He attributed rapid data depletion to enhanced networks, not foul play from the telecommunication giant.
“A better network speeds up data use,” he explained.
“YouTube switches to higher resolution on stronger signals—it’s like Pac-Man eating your data. We don’t control that,” he added.
Blewett highlighted MTN’s oversight mechanisms. “We’re independently audited—billing errors would fail our financials,” he said, adding that an internal revenue assurance team constantly checks for discrepancies to ensure compliance and accuracy.
“We don’t want revenue leaks or incorrect billing,” he stated, underscoring MTN’s commitment to transparency amid customer frustration over vanishing data.
