Claim: MTN mobile money service in Ghana to shut down.

Verdict: False.

Researched by GhanaFact Team

A voice note that has gone viral on social media is encouraging MTN mobile money customers to withdraw their funds from their accounts due to an impending shut down of the telecom company’s mobile money platform.

The voice note which seems to have been recorded by a woman has been widely circulated on WhatsApp and Facebook despite the source being unknown.

According to the voice note the imminent shut down of the MTN MOMO service in Ghana follows retaliatory attacks by Nigerians against the company for the xenophobic attacks happening in south Africa.

Speaking in an indigenous Ghanaian language-Twi, the lady said:

“Hello, good morning sis. The information I have is that the fracas between South Africa and Nigeria has led to the burning of some MTN offices and the suspension of the leadership of the company. This will lead to the shutdown of the MTN mobile money service. If this happens it is likely you would lose all your funds in your account, so if you have any money in your MTN mobile money account you can withdraw it and deposit same in your bank account for now. Also contact any loved one of yours who uses the service and alert them to withdraw their funds from MTN mobile money until there is any good news about what is happening. Or else you can lose all the funds in your mobile wallet. Please, forward this message to someone else at least.”

 MTN denies report

“The MTN mobile money platform in Ghana is still robust. It is not connected in anyway with the incidence happening in South Africa and Nigeria,” Corporate Services Executive for MTN Ghana, Samuel Koranteng said at the 43rd Annual General Meeting of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) in Accra on September 11.

The telecommunication company also in a public notice has rejected the report as false and assured customers that their funds are safely lodged with 18 partner banks in Ghana.

Here is the public notice from MTN:

As part of efforts to counter the targeted disinformation against the company, MTN Ghana on September 9 also posted a message on their Facebook page together with a voice note by Ghanaian journalist Nana Aba Anamoah listing the 18 partner banks where customers funds are lodged among other assurances. The post has been viewed by more than 40,000 people , shared 835 times and generated 518 comments.