The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ondo State Council, on Sunday suspended its plan to picket The Hope tomorrow as the newspaper’s management reinstated the Editor, Mr. Akin Adubuola and other top editorial staff earlier redeployed.
In a statement by its State Chairman, Prince Leke Adegbite, and Secretary, Mr. Olaoluwa Meshack, the union said that it suspended the planned industrial action “following the peaceful resolution of the impasse that provoked the earlier notice.”
Following is the full statement titled “Ondo NUJ: Suspension of planned picketing of Owena Press office”:
“The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ondo State Council, has suspended its planned picketing of the office of Owens Press, publisher of The Hope Newspaper.
“The planned action scheduled for tomorrow, Monday, 20th January 2025, was suspended following the peaceful resolution of the impasse that provoked the earlier notice.
“The terms of resolution included the reversal of earlier redeployment of the Editor and other top editorial staff and proper respect for public service regulations in the organization.
“While we promise not to renege on our mandate to protect the interests of our members and that of Owena Press as a public media outfit, we thank all journalists, Ondo State labour leaders, top government’s officials and other well-meaning people who had waded into the impasse to ensure timely and peaceful resolution.”
Also, the newspaper’s Chairman/Editor-In-Chief, Mr. Kayode Fasua, confirmed the development to The Radiance.
Earlier in a letter to the NUJ Chairman, which he signed, Fasua informed the union that the Management has “relaxed our recent staff redeployment exercise, to give room for useful deliberations between the Council and our Management.”
Following is the full letter titled “Review and appraisal of recent staff redeployment exercise”:
“It is heart-warming to inform you, other Executive Council members and the entire members of the Ondo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) that the Management Committee of Owena Press Limited, publishers of The Hope titles, has relaxed our recent staff redeployment exercise, to give room for useful deliberations between the Council and our Management.
“To that extent, the status quo ante, predating the exercise, is sustained.
“However, this is without prejudice to our overall goal of repositioning the Newspaper outfit to make it compete favourably in the Nigerian newspaper industry and thus take it to greater heights.
“This followed our mutual appraisal of the event at a media stakeholders’ meeting held today, Saturday, January 18, 2025 at the the State NUJ Press Centre, Akure, Ondo State.
“For the avoidance of doubt, there has been no incident of staff victimisation or segregation whatsoever since I assumed office as Chairman/Editor-in-chief last October, as alleged.
“Indeed, in concert with my team in the organisation, the profile of The Hope titles has risen with commendable toga, to which you chummily attested during our recent courtesy visit to the State Counci of the NUJ.
“A few of such modest achievements herein suffice:
1. Introduction of daily digital frontpage publication of respective titles, online, with a syndication panache that reaches no fewer than 50,000 readers daily.
2. Restoration of Weekend Hope in hardcopy every Friday, to complement existing The Hope title published every Monday.
3. Effective management of resources to give value to manhour efforts of staff members.
4. Restoration of payment of transport allowance to Editorial staff members, hazard allowance to production staff members and duty allowance to circulation workers, et al.
5. Restoration of Management staff imprest that had been stopped for over a year.
6. On-going repair of two vehicles, namely a hummer bus and a Toyota car; and renovation of some discrepit office apartments.
“Rest assured that the Management under my leadership is bent on continually upscaling our performance level, as we hold our workers in utmost dignity.
This is to also acknowledge the wondrously enthusing role of the State Council of the NUJ leadership in fending for the welfare of staff members of the Owena Press Limited.
Please do accept my warm and fraternal regards.”
When contacted, the Editor, Mr. Akin Adubuola also confirmed that he and his other colleagues who were earlier redeployed, had been reinstated.
Trouble started on Friday last week when the NUJ gave the newspaper’s management a 24-hour deadline to reverse the redeployment and demotion of some workers; and condemned Fasua’s alleged “obnoxious policies”
The union threatened to shut down the newspaper house tomorrow Monday, unless the decisions were reversed.
It alleged that the Chairman/Editor-In-Chief employed his “incompetent” friend as Editor, engaged a lady “who just finished Diploma” as News Editor and recruited his daughter as the Accountant of The Hope newspapers without following due process.
Also, he allegedly demoted the Editor, Assistant Editor, News Editor and redeployed others without any reason, while he has “continued to threaten, harass and intimidate the workers, especially News Department staff”.
It was also said that within 24 hours of receiving the NUJ letter, Fasua had created an illegal union, “Owena Press Staff Union”.
In a notice of intent to picket The Hope, dated 16th January, 2025, the NUJ said:
“It has come to our knowledge the disturbing policies recently being implemented by your management at the Owena Press PLC (publisher of The Hope titles) and how they have been affecting our members adversely.
“Under the policies, our members are being subjected to work under serious emotional trauma and we therefore urge you to reverse these policies immediately to ensure that our members can work without undue stress.
“Specifically, the policies include; demotion of some management staff, emotional harassment, work overload without incentive among other obnoxious policies.
“We demand that the policies especially recent demotion of the Editor and other editorial staff, be rescinded within the next 24 hours.
“Sir, failure to comply with these demand will leave us with no choice but to picket your office at the beginning of work (January 20, 2025). This action will be taken as a last resort to express our strong displeasure with the policies.
“We hope that you will take our demands seriously and take prompt action to address our concerns.”
