Benjamin Babine, Abuja
South African mobile operator MTN Group Ltd said on Wednesday that Chief Financial Officer, Ralph Mupita, will succeed Rob Shuter, as Group President and Chief Executive from September 1.
“Ralph’s experience as the group CFO, strong knowledge of our businesses and markets, as well as successful background in financial services, M&A and emerging markets, place him in an excellent position to lead the growth and sustainability of the business going forward,” Group Chairman Mcebisi Jonas, said. Mupita has served as Group CFO since April 2017 and has helped the board develop and execute its strategy of diversifying from just offering voice and data services into offering financial and digital services and cloud solutions.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has called for industrial harmony between MTN Nigeria Plc and the Private Telecommunication and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN), saying the telecommunications industry plays a major role in the socio-economic well-being of the nation, amidst COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, made the call in Abuja at the conciliation meeting between the management of MTN Nigeria Plc and leadership of PTSECSSAN. He said: “We are doing social distancing. We are doing so many things that require us not to meet so much physically, as part of the COVID-19 protocols.”
This is a time for digital technology; a time to ensure that our telecommunication industry, as part of our overall communication, is not destabilized.”
Ngige observed that the relationship between the employer organization and the employees remained a symbiotic one, as both parties needed each other and none could exist without the other. The management of MTN Nigeria Plc had filed a trade dispute against PTECSSAN, accusing the association of threatening industrial action against the organisation without recourse to the dispute resolution procedures as provided under the law.