NUJ to stop THISDAY’s 20th anniversary celebration over unpaid salaries

September, 3, 2015 – Unless publisher of ThisDay Newspapers, Mr. Nduka Obaigbenna pays journalists working in his company all salaries and entitlements by 2.00pm on Friday, September 4, 2015, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) will disrupt the 20th anniversary celebration of the organization, scheduled to hold on Saturday, September 5, at the Eko Hotels and Towers, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The National President of the NUJ, Alhaji Waheed Odusile, made this vow via a letter sent to Obaigbenna on Wednesday, assuring that the exercise will take place with the full backing of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

Odusile, who was particularly pained that Obaigbenna has reneged on his promise after personally assuring him of payment, said there is no going back on the disruption of the company’s 20th anniversary celebration program, except the flamboyant publisher pays his workers by 2.00 pm on Friday.

“Recall our meeting at your residence in Lagos on Monday August 24, 2015 on the above subject matter and your promised to pay two months out of the arrears being owed the senior staff and to pay the junior staff up to the end of August 2015 before the 20th anniversary of THISDAY coming up on September 5.

“You also promised to pay the rest in installment of two months per tranche, with a firm commitment to offset all outstanding salary arrears on or before December 31st, 2015, including verified check-off deductions due to the NUJ”, the NUJ President said.

According to him, information reaching the union indicates that up till this moment (3.45 pm) on Wednesday September 2, 2015, nobody has been paid in spite of your promise and preparations are on to hold the 20th anniversary celebration.

“Please be informed that if by 2 pm on Friday September 4, 2015, the salary arrears were not paid as promised and confirmed by our members, the NUJ will mobilize the entire Labour (NLC and TUC) to disrupt the anniversary celebration wherever you decide to hold it.

“This is neither a threat nor a boast, but we will no longer allow you to toy with the lives of our members again”, the NUJ said.

Recall that the publisher is alleged to be using money made by THISDAY workers in Nigeria  to finance Arise Television in London to prevent authorities from shutting him down. He is not owing anybody working  in Arise TV till date.

We gathered that Obaigbena tried to extend what he  is doing in Nigeria to South Africa when he set up THISDAY International in South Africa but was forced to liquidate the company after hiring best hands from media organisations including New York Times when he started owing salaries and emoluments.

THISDAY according to inside sources,  earns more than what is needed to pay salaries and finance operations in a whole year in the first quarter of every year being the paper with the highest earnings from advertisement.