Nigerian BlackBerry users groan, Airtel to reabsorb sacked workers

Posted by admin Headlines Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

BlackBerry smartphone users in Nigeria on Tuesday bemoaned the continued disruption of services, which began on Monday in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

By Tuesday, the disruption in services had extended to Brazil, Chile and Argentina, with users unable to connect the Internet or use messaging services.

A banker in Alausa, Lagos, Mr. Leke Adeoti, told our correspondent in an interview that he had not been able to “enjoy” his BlackBerry phone since Monday, as he was unable to use the BlackBerry Messenger service throughout the day, but only succeeded in sending just a message on Tuesday afternoon.

“From noon till now, none of the messages I sent has been delivered. I think the service is fluctuating seriously,” he added.

A marketer with a food and beverage company, Ms. Iheoma Okechukwu, who shared a similar experience, told our correspondent that she had never thought BlackBerry could have such a global problem that would hold everyone to ransom.

She said, “If possible, the makers of BlackBerry should decentralise its services so that, if for instance, Europe is affected, African users would not have course to worry.”

According to Okechukwu, the disruption had seriously affected communication, and it had made carrying a BlackBerry in the last two days so boring.

In a related development, Airtel Nigeria pledged on Tuesday to reabsorb the 3,000 call centre workers recently sacked by its partners.

The company’s officials, accompanied by officials of a consultancy firm, Blue Flower, said this during questioning by members of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

-Punchwp_posts