Loopholes in MTN GNAT data for teachers and non-teachers

Loopholes in MTN GNAT data bundle that teachers and non-teachers are enjoying | 10GB/20GB @ Ghc27/ Ghc54

There are loopholes in the MTN GNAT data bundle that is made for only staff of the Ghana Education Service (GES). The loophole essentially allows members of the general public who are not staff of GES to enjoy the special internet data meant for GES staff only. The internet data bundle available for purchase are 10GB and 20GB at Ghc27 and Ghc54 respectively.

Many members of the general public who are not staff of the Ghana Education Service have been observed to be purchasing the internet data bundle as well.

Members of the general public can enjoy the package due to the many loopholes in the process of registration and purchase of the internet package.

Background

There are heavily discounted internet data available to members of the Ghana Education Service only. This heavily discounted internet data is provided by the telecommunication giant, MTN.

According to the records, the regional chairman of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and his team approached the telecommunications network for a discounted internet data package for its member. The engagement yielded positive results. Members of the union in the Ashanti region were allowed to purchase internet packages from MTN at a discount that is highly less than the market cost of internet data.

Later, all the members of the union across the country are allowed to enjoy the internet package. This opportunity for the general members of the largest teachers’ union in the country to benefit from the internet data package has popularised the package to the public.

National awareness

The MTN GNAT internet data bundle package is known to virtually every internet user in the country. This is because the internet is meant for people who are found in every corner of the country. As the largest workforce in the country, teachers are found in every small community.

Also, the multiplier effect of family and friends to teachers has helped to popularise the internet data package meant for only teachers.

Social media has also made the information available to people who are not eligible to benefit from the package. This is because teachers and bloggers who are helping to share information sent details of the package to social media platforms where non-teachers could be found.

Control measures for loopholes in MTN GNAT data

Managers of the MTN GNAT data bundle have foreseen some of the challenges that may arise with the implementation of the data package.

Managers have ensured that beneficiaries must register first before they can purchase the data bundle. The use of staff ID is a compulsory requirement. This requirement is probably to ensure only staff and one person have registered.

Also, beneficiaries must register only one phone number as a beneficiary. And the purchase of the data bundle for multiple registered phone numbers would result in a loss of funds to the customer.

Introduced at a later stage is the requirement for emails during registration to ensure that email is linked to any registered beneficiary phone number.

However, all the measures in place seem to be invalidated. This is because members of the general public who are not GES staff are observed to be enjoying the data package.

See also: Detail about MTN GNAT data bundle | 10GB/ 20GB @ Ghc27/ Ghc54

Loopholes in MTN GNAT data bundle

The following are the ways and means people who are not staff of the Ghana Education Service are enjoying the staff bundle.
1. Non-GES staff can register for the data bundle including non-GES staff. This is probably because managers of the data bundle do not have a database to verify registrants as GES staff
2. Non-GES staff who have an idea about the number of digits as staff ID can conjure any staff ID to use for registration since the managers of the fund may not verify the ownership of such staff ID
3. It has been reported that some beneficiaries can register more than one beneficiary phone number and enjoyed the data on those phone numbers. It is understood some people register more than phone numbers using one staff ID. Proof of this phenomenon is the case where some unscrupulous people continue to advertise their ability to register non-GES staff at a cost.
4. Some GES staff also voluntarily register and purchase the data bundle for their family and friends using their personal (one) staff ID.
5. The only time any form of punitive measure has been enforced is when an individual decided to buy multiple packages for one particular beneficiary number. One particular beneficiary phone number is required to buy one set of packages during any buying window. Therefore, half of any excess package is served for that particular beneficiary’s phone number. However, people can buy the data for different beneficiary phone numbers registered using one staff ID without any problem or punitive measure.

The implication of the loopholes in the package

The negative implication for people exploiting the loophole in the procedure to access the data bundle is the risk of the package being canceled by the service provider, MTN.

Cancellation of the GNAT data bundle package will affect members of the largest workforce in the country. This is because the package serves as a financial cushioning in the current economic crisis in the country.

Also, the package has proved to improve teaching and learning in the country. This is because teachers can obtain digital resources to aid their work. In context, a lot of teaching and learning materials that are required to be provided by the employer are still not available in schools. Teachers, therefore, fall on digital resources to facilitate their work.

Purpose of exposing the loopholes

The main purpose to expose the loophole in the MTN GNAT data bundle is to help managers of the package to close the loopholes that they may not be aware of.

The motive of the exposure is to prevent any eventual collapse of the data bundle package.

Reference: ghanateachers.com