How MTN Nigeria messed up ex-Corporate Communications’ Manager, Funmi Omogbenigun

When Funmi Omogbenigun, the erstwhile general manager, corporate communications of the South African telecommunication company, MTN resumed from her annual leave few months ago, little did she know that a mother of all humiliation was in the offing. On this fateful day, Funmi had resumed with great expectations and prospects to take the company to a higher level.
As the story was narrated by a competent source, Funmi was invited by another management staff, Akinwale Goodluck who politely told her that the establishment could not tolerate her any longer.
While Funmi was dumb founded, the officer allegedly gave her two options of either to resign or be fired with immediate effect.
Still confused of the whole scenario, Funmi was said to have required to go back to her office to prepare her letter of resignation, but she was declined as an already prepared letter of resignation was presented to her to append her signature. She obliged and pronto, drama of further humiliation began to unfold.
The security men were said to have stormed her office to escort her out of the office complex while her official SUV’s keys were promptly demanded.
At this juncture she was said to have pleaded that the security men could follow her home with the car while they could safely bring back the car, an offer that was accepted, so, she eventually left with the car on that day, and fulfilled her promise to allow the security men return the vehicle safely.
While still sobbing in anguish of the predicament, the management added salt to the insult when a new set of security men stormed her residence to cart away the generator set in her house. The scenario of removing the generator perhaps might have given her neighbours an insight into Funmi’s present predicament.
At this moment, this magazine gathered that she broke into tears and could not understand why she would be treated in such a manner.
When News of the People got in touch with Wale Goodluck to comment on the allegations, his reply of Monday September 28, was that a colleague of his would get in touch with clarifications, but no reply came as at Saturday October 3.
It would be recalled that some years back, the company also suffered a kind of exodus in its management rank, though the circumstances of their exit were not made public but recent incident might not be far from their reasons .
In 2006 there was a report that the most senior Nigerian staff of MTN, Ms Funke Opeke who was appointed after a long search for a Nigerian replacement for sacked Demola Eleso resigned. Opeke was only five months old on the post.
Informed company sources said that Opeke resigned after the company reneged on some of the agreements reached during negotiations leading to her employment.
Sensing that the Company was about to make a fool of her after all the promises she had made to the team who in turn had given her all the cooperation and goodwill she needed to do well, Opeke decided to withdraw her services from the company.
With her resignation, Opeke would be the fourth officer to leave the post within one year.
After Eleso was sacked April of that year, another Nigerian, Damoye Oyesiku was named as his replacement. Oyesiku resigned after only three days. After the departure of Oyesiku, a South African expatriate, Mr. Dion Krige who was seconded from South Africa was appointed acting CTO. He was replaced by Opeke who is now the chief executive officer at MainOne
-News of the People