Tribune Newspaper Sacks 150 Staffers, Including Finance & HR Directors Accused Of Paying 120 Ghost Workers For The Past 10yrs!

…Forced all staff to re-apply before lay off
+ Police drafted to head office to quell riot

Recognised daily publication owned by the Awolowo family- Tribune just laid off a huge chunk of it’s work force.

The exercise which cuts across board- with huge casualty in the Editorial department reportedly caught the staffers unawares.

They were given sack letter two days before today’s Eld El Kabir celebration ( Wednesday October 24 2012)

The victims are said to be in the region of 150- based on official disclosure at confidential meeting.

Part of the laid off work force were two top shorts identified as ‘the Director of Finance and the Human Resource Director’.

According to insiders, they were sacked over indictment of the company paying salaries to 120 ghost workers, for the past 10years.

‘The conclusion of investigators was that, there was no way this would happen without the involvement of the two’ a source divulged.

Investigations revealed part of the strategy that exposed the ghost workers scam was a staff audit and verification exercise carried out by the management earlier in the year.

‘The discrepancy over the verifiable numbers and the ones on paying sheet was a huge surprise’ disclosed another source.

Insiders revealed for a company striving to increase it’s earnings, this was deemed alarming.

Further digs revealed to firm up it operations and do away with ‘unnecessary cost’, the management requested all staffers to re apply 2months ago (August)- and they complied.

‘The general understanding among staffers was that reapplying, with it’s attendant implication of loss of benefits for years spent, would prevent mass sack’ a source provided insight of why there was no protest.

But obviously the management had another idea of how things should be done- in a warp celebration of the Eid El Kabir islamic festival for staffers, sack letters were doled out.

Sources claimed in anticipation of violent response from victims, anti riot policemen were drafted to the newspaper house’ head office in Ibadan, Oyo state.

They are still there at press time.

Sources further revealed to manage an already bad situation- the leadership of the newspaper house is trying to work out a compensation package for affected staffers with over 5years input. Those that have spent lesser years are to forfeit all claims.

Findings by societynowng.com could not identify a clear cut method used for selecting the sacked workers.

It is believed this action of the publishing house was at the instance of the shareholders aiming to reduce cost, as part of moves to make the business more profit oriented.