MTN GHANA CEO RECOUNTS EXPULSION FROM BENIN AND FAMILY SEPARATION

MTN Ghana CEO Stephen Blewett has revealed how he was expelled from Benin in 2017 during a dispute between MTN and the government over $213 million in frequency fees.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Personality Profile, Blewett said he was forced to leave the country for six months while his family remained behind.

“It was not personal, it was business, but that was quite tough for us,” he recalled.

Though the government cited “activities detrimental to security and public order,” the expulsion was widely linked to the fee dispute. MTN Group at the time refuted the allegations, stressing Blewett had always respected Benin’s laws.

The issue was later resolved, allowing him to return and continue leading MTN Benin to three years of double-digit revenue growth before moving on to head MTN Cameroon and later MTN Ghana.