Telecom giant, MTN Ghana has awarded its mobile money agents and merchants as part of activities marking the 10th anniversary celebration of the mobile money service in the country.
It has also given away a two-bedroom house to Madam Rita Tetteh, the woman who played the lead role in the first Mobile Money (Momo) advert aired on television that eventually aided the service to gain grounds across Ghana.
Madam Rita Tetteh was recognized for the impact her role in the above advert has had on the success of Momo which is celebrating its 10 years anniversary this year.
The advert, crafted on the back of the earlier challenges that confronted the inception of the MTN Momo carried a strong message on the use of the service with a strong highlight on its usefulness, notwithstanding the distance barrier.
After receiving her reward, Madam Rita Tetteh burst into tears of joy as she lauded MTN for the gesture which she described as a big surprise.
“You have made me overwhelmed with joy with what you have done for me. I first and foremost give thanks to God. I also thank Mr. Eli Hini, Majeed, and everybody at MTN. God bless you all because you have always supported me from day one”, Madam Rita Tetteh said.
Speaking at the 2019 Momo agent and merchants awards at the Alisa Hotel on Saturday, December 21.
General Manager of Mobile Financial Services of MTN, Eli Hini, said MoMo has come to make life simple and comfortable for most people and it has impacted the lives of millions of Ghanaians across the country.
He indicated that the world today has become fast paced due to the technological advancements taking place globally.
At the end of the Momo agents and merchants awards night, 50 agents and merchants walked away with amazing goodies ranging from Samsung Television sets, Motobicyles, agent kiosks, trips to Dubai, and a brand new 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe.
The Telco looks forward to reward 400 agents and merchants across the country out of which 50 received awards on the night.
The award ceremonies for the remaining 350 would subsequently be held in the various regions.
Mr. Hini hinted that the forensic equipment to help Ghana police accelerate investigations related to MoMo fraud has been shipped into the country and would begin operations before the end of first quarter in 2020.
“The equipment has been shipped and we expect the equipment to be in Ghana in early January to start deployment of the forensic lab. Once we finish the first one in Accra, we will consider expanding that into Kumasi as well so that we can continue to support the police” he added.
According to him, MoMo is transforming the Ghanaian economy and responding to emergencies.
“Essentially, we are giving them livelihoods from now onwards, those who can manage it very well we believe that it will become bigger tomorrow and they will have their own story to tell on how MoMo has changed their lives,” he noted.
He, however, called on agents to desist from third party transactions to avoid the number of fraud situations associated with MoMo.
BY Melvin Tarlue