Rutotech Absolves Huawei, Distances Self from Protest at 9Mobile

Rutotech International, Telecommunication services provider and sub-contractors to Huawei Technologies Nigeria Limited, has distanced itself from a demonstration that took place at the Abuja office of 9Mobile, formerly Etisalat Nigeria, on Monday morning.

100 Nigerian engineers staged a protest on Monday, accusing the Company of relieving them of their duties due to restructuring at 9Mobile, according to a report by Blueprint.

The workers, who said they had worked with the company for over eight years, protested over the sudden sack, saying that it was done without due process. As early as 6:00 a.m., the report said, the affected workers gathered outside the premises of Etisalat (now 9Mobile) in Wuse 2, Abuja, carrying placards with different inscriptions, among them: “We want all sacked workers recalled”, “We are not slaves”, and “Due process must be follow in sacking workers”.

Comrade Koledade Owa, chairman of Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PTECSSAN),  who addressed the workers, told Blueprint reporter that: “Precisely on Thursday and Friday, while our members were doing their work, they got a phone call that they have been sacked and were asked to vacate the premises.

Reacting to the report, Rutotech International said "Some mischievous people, who had staged the protest at the 9Mobile office, had blamed the company that had recently restructured for their plight".

In the statement endorsed by Akindolapo Samuel, its spokesman, Rutotech International denied knowledge about the protest.

The company explained that following the well-known problems of Etisalat, the company had to put on hold some of its ongoing contracts including the one being executed by Rutotech.

Rutotech therefore distanced itself from the protest, stating that it would never embarrass any of its esteemed clients.

The company’s statement read in part: “Following the restructuring and takeover of Etisalat by 9Mobile, due to some financial crisis, some of their operations were affected leading to the scaling down of some of our staff as a temporal measure to restructure our operations.

"The demonstration which took place in Abuja was orchestrated by some roguish people who are not staff of Rutotech or Huawei but who want to paint us in bad light in the eyes of our esteemed clients.

"There are over 280 staff members at Rutotech who have not been affected and are working at various locations for our clients", the Statement read.