Mr Bayo Onanuga, immediate past Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) , has demanded an apology from members of the four unions in the agency.
Mr Benjamin Umudioro, Legal Representative for Onanuga in separate letters to the officials dated May 27 and made available to newsmen on Monday, demanded public apologies from them within two weeks or risk been served with N100 million libel suit each.
The eight officials served with the warning libel suit included the Acting Chairman and Secretary of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), NAN Chapter, Comrades Collins Yakubu-Hammer and Bukola Adewumi.
Others are the Chairman and Secretary of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporate, Civil Service Technical and Recreation Service Employees (AUPCTRE), Radio, Comrades Suleiman Haruna and Udaka Oputa.
Also served were that Chairman and Secretary of Television, Theatre and Arts Workers’ Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU), Comrades Daniel Akaphiare and Isiaka Sakiru.
The others were Chairman and Secretary of the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporation and Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrades Ogechi James and Efe Ekpruke respectively.
The letter is titled “Re-save News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from Eminent Collapse: Please Don’t Re-appoint Bayo Onanuga:
Libelous Publication Referring to Mr Bayo Onanuga; Demand for Apologies and Damages in the Sum of N100 million’’.
The letter reads in parts: “we are solicitor to Mr Bayo Onanuga, who shall hereafter, be referred to as “our client’’ and by whose authority we write.
“That until recently, he was the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, hereafter referred to as “NAN’’ having completed a three-year term appointment by the presidency.
“That on the eve of his departure, you and seven other staff of NAN caused to be written and delivered to the Honourable Minister of Information and Culture, a letter dated May 23, 2019 which captioned: Save News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from eminent collapse; please don’t re-appoint Bayo Onanuga’’.
The joint-union led by their officials rose from a meeting on May 28 with a call for protest against Onanuga’s re-emergence in the office after he duly handed over the most senior director on May 24.
The unions accused Onanuga to have allegedly diverted some revenues of the agency to his personal use through the NAN Bizcom accounts that were not linked to the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
They also accused him of allegedly selling official vehicles to himself and loyal management staff through dubious auction process that grossly violated auction rules of the Federation Government.
The unions further alleged that Onanuga made payment of huge sums of money to consultants in order to conduct promotion examination that could be handled internally.
They also alleged that Onanuga’s refusal to pay rents of several state offices which included Port Harcourt Zonal Office, Lafia, Yenagoa, Birni Kebbi and Jalingo despite millions of naira generated by the agency exposed workers to ridicule.
According to the unions, in spite of the N321 million bailout approved for the agency by President Muhammadu Buhari, Onanuga refuses to pay 60 months transport allowance to reporters and marketers.
The unions further alleged that the ex-MD failed to consider the welfare of staff following abandonment of the newsroom.
They also alleged that Onanuga misappropriated monies meant for the marking of 40th anniversary of the agency donated by well-meaning institutions through access Bank Account 0016628258 and Zenith Bank Account 1012782058 respectively.
They further accused Onanuga of willfully refusing to implement all 11 items in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entered into with union leaders and officials from Ministry of Labour in July 2018 among others.
Umudioro, however said the reputation of his client had been badly injured with the above unsubstantiated allegations, adding that legal actions awaited the eight officials if apologies were not tendered within the stipulated period.
“That his reputation has been injured and no man of decent standing will henceforth want to associate with him after a several years spent to build a good career,’’ Umudioro said. (NAN)
