HOW I WON THE NEW MTN/HUAWEI SMART PHONE!

10:38:00 Unknown 0 Comments

In the mist of all the excitement that fateful Thursday, I knew I wouldn't have to fret anymore about getting a replacement for my Nokia X2 yet I was contemplating whether to make a blog post or not.

After all, what’s so special about winning a phone? People have won houses, cars and a whole lot of awesome prices so why do I have to blow trumpets over just a small handset.




Well, it wasn’t all about winning the phone but the circumstances surrounding it. By now you should be accustomed to my passion for creative writing thus my desire to share my experiences. 

But as my best friend Felix Baidoo teased “I have heard a story like that before. So stop trying to send coals to Newcastle,” he told me after I had equally quashed his new post about his narrow escape with death that same Thursday.

It was just my way of telling him to stop writing everything on Facebook just because he could write but this time he didn't spare me too. He succeeded in preventing me from making a blog post about the phone with that comment.

Click here to follow the conversation ...Bermuda Triangle.

After the little tease on his note, I forgot about the blog post and decided to concentrate on using my first screen touch phone till I came across a similar write-up by Mannaseh Azure Awuni. 

Apparently, the boy from Bongo (as he refers to himself) had also attended a similar event where the telecom company gave away some prizes. Even though he didn't win, he wrote his account and reading it gave me a change of mind.

You can read his post here too How i missed MTN's surprise package.

On my part, the programme was scheduled to start at 9:30am but as procrastination would have it, I left home around 8:00am; having in mind that I was using the GMT (Ghana Man’s Time) so why should I even rush if I am going to wait an hour for the CEO to finish taking his bath.

As a media person, my job allows coverage of several functions and after observing quite a number of events I got accustomed to the “GMT” and joined the delay wagon too but this time I bit more than I could actually swallow.

Coming straight from the house, I got to Kaneshie around 9:00am but I began to panic, wondering when this Tema Station bus was going to be full to take me to the Ridge Towers. 

Of course I thought of picking a taxi but that little stubborn voice in my head just kept telling me “relax! we are in GH and this isn't the first time you are attending an event like this. You can’t be late.”  

“But what if you get there and the programme has ended? What are you going to tell your boss and how do you get the story? Come on, pick a taxi!” said the other voice. The angelic one i suppose.

In fact, I was confused and didn't know what to do next but eventually the former  won. I picked the bus and got to the Ridge towers a quarter to 11:00am.

“Excuse me! Where are they launching the MTN phone? Can you please direct me?” I asked a guy at the ground floor.

"Oh! You are late. They started exactly 9:00am but you can get to the fifth floor and ask the receptionist” he replied as he helped me with the elevator.

“Excuse me! Is this where the launch is taking place? I asked the receptionist at the fifth floor.  

“Which launch? Oh! The phone you mean? Go to the 12th floor.”

Again the two voices appeared in my head and this time the stubborn one  kept telling me to go back to the office while the other urged me on to at least go and get some interviews. After all it’s going to be about the launch of a new phone by MTN.

After spending close to 20 minutes on the fifth floor without any sign of an elevator, I decided to give up until I heard one coming my way and so I waited.

“Help me get to the 12th floor please” I told a guy in the elevator. This was no time to hide my ignorance about the machine. I was late and it was proper for me to ask for help.

“My God! What happened? I thought I said the 12th floor. Why am I back on the fifth floor again?” 

Maybe the guy didn't operate the machine well and I couldn't blame him. He didn't ask me to stay home all day. Again I found myself back to the fifth floor, standing in front of the same receptionist who had directed me earlier to go the the 12th floor. I couldn't have felt more embarrassed and confused but I decided to give it another try.

Once again, I asked for help to my destination but this time I opened my eyes to be sure I was going to the right floor so I began counting from the indicator. 

After some few minutes I finally found myself on the 12th floor.

“Hello, where is the launch taking place?” I asked a gentleman in an MTN shirt. 

“I know I am late and you don’t need to remind me, just keep quiet and show me” I thought.   

"Go through that door" he said. Just at the entrance were two ladies who I suppose were ushers.

“Hello I’m from the media and I guess the programme has ended?” I asked feeling a bit nervous. 

“Yes but you can go in and listen to the closing remarks if you want” they said staring oddly  at me.

“No thanks, I’ll be fine here. I will make some interviews when they come out" i replied.

As I waited outside the closed door I cursed whoever started this whole Ghana Man's Time. I just couldn't imagine myself walking through that door and attracting all manner of eyes.  Just when i stood there going through the flyers, I saw a lady open the door and I felt the need to master courage and at least go in and listen to the last remarks.

With a deep breath I opened the door quietly and sneaked to the back. 

“Are you from the media? I heard a gentleman whisper to me. “Yes I am” I whispered back.

“Okay have this chit. Split it into two and give me the other half.” The chit was labeled 22224.

I was confused but I obeyed and watched him drop the other half into the basket. What was that for?

I recall a friend’s account of how she won a Techno phone recently after her complimentary card was selected at the launch of the new phone. Others colleagues from other media houses have also won for themselves the new Samsung S4 just by dropping their complimentary cards.

Even though I don’t have a call card, I was somewhat hoping to win something too but never thought that was the reason behind the chit.




“Okay it’s time for the MTN lucky dip.  We are giving you the opportunity to win this sleek Huawei smart phone. It’s only 169GHC and it comes with a lot of packages from MTN. 

12 months free browsing (200MB per month), 65 minutes free call and you also get free SMS every month for 12 months” says the MC as he gets ready to pass the basket to some of the executives for selection of the numbers.

Apparently, the initiative is a collaboration between Huawei technologies and MTN. You only buy the handset and subscribe to  all the packages from MTN.

All this while I kept imagining what would happen if my number was called. How can it be? I just came and that will sound weird, wont it?

After three giveaways, a couple of the media guys were all excited about their lucky win. The MC then announced that there wasn't going to be anymore giveaways but tantrums from the audience made him retreat.

“Okay, let’s have the last dip and this time the CEO himself, Mr. Michael Ikpoki will pick out the lucky number” I heard him say as I stood in the little corner at the back.
 
22224! 22224!! Where’s the lucky person? The MC announced.

“OMG! That’s my number.” I haven’t won anything before.  As I delayed at the back with my eyes fixed on the paper making sure I was holding the same number, I saw the guests turn their heads in anticipation to see who the lucky and last winner is.

"She just came! Wow! How lucky of you” I heard a few of them murmur as I stepped forward to receive my prize and take a picture as it was presented.




























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