Posted by By IKENNA EMEWU on
MTS First Wireless, the nation's oldest and pioneer wireless telecommunications company owned by an array of retired military officers has turned a battle ground as the generals and other high ranking retired officers shift their training in warfare to battle each other over ownership of the soul of the firm.
MTS First Wireless, the nation's oldest and pioneer wireless telecommunications company owned by an array of retired military officers has turned a battle ground as the generals and other high ranking retired officers shift their training in warfare to battle each other over ownership of the soul of the firm.
The smouldering war that has been raging over time came to a head last week Thursday when one director, and one of the few non-military officers nearly became the first victim of the fracas. Available reports say the victim, Mr. Bob Okoniya would have been used to perfect the markmanship of the orderly of a retired general, an MTS director.
It was gathered that the orderly who flagged down Mr. Okoniya's car while he (orderly) was riding with his master, disembarked from his master's car, fired some shots directly at Okoniya's car and walked back into his seat.
The shooting was reported to have been witnessed by the general who was at the back of his car. In a rather funny drama, the shooter was said to have apologized to Okoniya, pleading that his action was not intentional as he ‘mistook' him for the ‘real' target. But while all these happened, the general from the northern part of the nation never uttered a word or acted like he knew someone's existence was threatened.
According to our sources, the said apology did not make an impact as Mr. Okoniya who escaped by a hair's breadth with some bruises on his head and bullet dents on his car lodged a complaint with the police immediately. He is said to be in hiding right now as the fear over his very close brush with death in broad daylight has terribly traumatized him.
The victim of the war over control of affairs was riding in his car with three other executives of the company, and was returning from a visit to the company's Wireless Switch in Victoria Island. Mr. Okoniya's accusing finger in the ugly incident points at his rival in the company's board, a retired military top shot, for paying for his assassination.
A faction of the company's feuding executives insisted in their revelation to Saturday Sun that contrary to the claims of the Public Relations department that the fracas is under control and peace has returned to MTS, the rivalry and further threats to lives are still rife.
The extent of the rift in the firm is affirmed by the multiplicity of petitions before the Police and EFCC asking for proper probation into some alleged underhand deals.
The aggrieved faction led by another general is insisting that the chief executive officer and other directors in his camp must be probed and if found culpable removed from office for allegedly incurring debts and other liabilities that now weigh the company down.
•President John Kufor of Ghana (right) with Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar former Nigeria Head of State at the fourth ordinary session of the Assembly of African Union in Abuja recently