GLO Subscribers Laments Over Influx Of Unsolicited Calls And Text Messages

By Benjamin Umuteme

Indigenous telecommunication company, Globacom is set to lose many of its loyal customers over what they termed upsurge of 'spammed' calls and text messages without considering the implications on their privacy.

FrontiersNews investigations revealed that the calls and messages emanate from various corporate bodies and business concerns to subscribers on the network and most of them are forwarded to subscribers at ungodly hours.

According to a visibly angry Mr. Samuel Onazi, "every time, you are either getting a call from GLO or getting text messages from organisations that you never had any dealings with".

Aside Mr. Onazi, the lamentation is widespread among millions of the network's subscribers.

A couple of the text messages read: "Dettol soap is now N100. 6 participants will win a Galaxy Tab 3 or Blackberry Z10! Text DETTOL to 5030 at N10\SMS", "Include one dark green and one orange vegetable on your plate everyday".

Coupled with this is the numerous promotional call that Glo inundates its customers with. These call comes with different numbers.

According to a subscriber, they are spamming us with phone calls and SMS's.

"First, they used to call me with 3401, when they knew that I was always cutting and ignoring the calls, they switched to 08050170001. I picked it a few times and stopped. Its so annoying especially when the call comes in the middle of the night".

And with a very wary smile he added "can you imagine how you will feel when you are in the 'middle of something' and this useless call comes from Glo?"

Another respondent who spoke in pidgin English said, "I don tire for this kind thing wen Glo dey do. How people wen I no get any business with go dey send me text message. At least dem for send me text to know whether I dey interested in their messages.

To Mr. Yahaya Musa said in a chat with FrontiersNews, "If by next year they no stop this thing,I go port o, No be by force to remain for Glo" .

At the Glo office in Wuse II, a staff who simply identified herself as Bimpe told our correspondent that the practice is part of the company's policy of encouraging Indigenous businesses.

Though she did not agree that it was a violation of customers privacy, Bimpe said the corporate bodies pay a 'token' to Glo.

At the National Communication Commission (NCC) headquarters, some staff spoken to were unwilling to speak to the press saying they were not competent to talk to the press.

However, a staff who craved for anonymity told FrontiersNews that the Commission has received complaints from subscribers of all the networks.

But he admitted that a large percentage of the complaints where from Globacom subscribers.