Imo state government suspends journalist for demanding unpaid salaries through facebook

Maureen Onuora in Enugu

The Imo State Government has suspended a journalist with its broadcasting station, Vivian Ottih for demanding for her three months unpaid salary and the wages of her co-workers through her facebook page.

Penpushing reports that,.Ottih who is the chairperson of National Association of Women Journalists(NAWOJ)  in the state, got the wrath of the management of the Orient FM radio station owned by the state government, following the post considered as an “embarrassment” to the Imo State government.

The suspended journalist, is a lawyer and a senior editor with the radio station and had on May 4, posted a message on Facebook, appealing to Governor Hope Uzodinma’s media aide, Modestus Nwamkpa, to make a case to the governor on behalf of the workers in the government-owned radio and television stations who were yet to get their February, March, and April salaries.

Penpushing further reports that, the senior editor of the station in the post described Governor Uzodinma as a “humble” and “performing” governor, who may not have been aware of the travails of the workers.

The female journalist in the post declared that she was personally hard-hit by the situation because she just had a baby weeks earlier, and in a subsequent post on May 7, thanked the Commissioner for Information in the state, Declan Emelumba for intervening on behalf of the unpaid workers. “God bless you, Sir,” she wrote.

Penpushing also reports that, contrary to her expectation in reference to her request, she was on May 8, queried by the Imo Broadcasting Corporation, stating that her attitude caused serious embarrassment to the government.

“I am directed to let you know that this your attitude caused serious embarrassment to Imo State Government thereby ridiculing the government in the eyes of the public with the sole aim of sabotaging the government, the query signed by acting general manager of the station, S.O Osuchukwu

Penpushing reports that, the journalist equally responded to the query which was considered as unsatisfactory by the Imo government and the authorities thereafter suspended her indefinitely from her job.

The nursing mother was  again on May 15, queried by the state government accusing her of posting the previous query on social media, while the Commissioner of Information, in reaction said  the government was not responsible for the delay in payment of the salary.

Penpushing further reports that, the commissioner argued that, the management of the Imo Broadcasting Corporation “refused” to submit the workers’ BVN and bank account details as directed by the government.

The commissioner in further explanation stated that  the government wanted to pay workers’ salary centrally in order to eliminate “ghost workers”, instead of allowing the various establishments to collect money from the state government to pay their staff as was done in the past.

Penpushing also reports that, the commissioner posited that the journalist could have used other channels of communication instead of taking the issue to Facebook, and also make defence on why the government did not sanction the corporation for delaying to send the bank details of their workers as requested by the government, adding, “If we did it as you would expect, people would accuse the government of being insensitive,”.

The commissioner  said he sent out a statement last week giving the parastatals a deadline to comply with the government directive, stressing that,“IBC has complied anyway; I think they are about getting their salary if they have not gotten it.”

Penpushing further reports that, Nigeria Association of Women Journalist, (NAWOJ), South East zone, has expressed dissatisfaction over the suspension of Imo Broadcasting Corporation staff, Mrs Vivian Ottih, by the commission.

The body in a press statement issued by it’s South East Zonal Vice President, Chibita Edozie, in Enugu, the women journalists urged Imo state Governor, Hope Uzodimma to intervene in the situation and cause the Imo Broadcasting Corporation(IBC) management to reverse the suspension, describing her suspension as unfortunate, also regretted that it came shortly after her child delivery.

“The South East zone of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, received with shock, the suspension of Mrs Vivian Ottih, the Chairperson of Imo State NAWOJ, by the management of Imo Broadcasting Corporation; the statement reads.

“More regrettably, the suspension is labour-related, based on her innocuous Facebook post on the three- month outstanding salaries of workers in the Station. Apart from the ill-timing of the suspension, which came shortly after Mrs Ottih gave birth, her claim on the outstanding wages has not been disputed by her Station’s  management.

“We find the action of her indefinite suspension as hasty, high-handed and against all known labour laws. We are persuaded to think that this action does not have the blessings of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Imo State, Chief Hope Uzodinma because he won’t sanction such high-handed action’.

‘This is against the backdrop of the fact that this action would be an embarrassment to the National Chairman of All Progressive Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who, apart from being very close to His Excellency Hope Uzodinma, fought all his labour years, for what Mrs Ottih is being victimised’.

“All women journalists in the whole of South East therefore call on the Director-General of Imo Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) to rescind this suspension and effect the payment of all the arrears of outstanding wages of workers in the establishment”.