A highly placed source in the management of Osun State Broadcasting Corporation has explained to The Eagle Online the rationale behind the suspension of three of its staff.
The suspension of the staff had been linked to the loss of the Osun West Senatorial District seat by the sitting government in the state, led by the All Progressives Congress, to the Peoples Democratic Party.
Dr. Ademola Adeleke of the PDP had won the election, defeating APC’s Mudashiru Hussein.
The seat became vacant following the death on April 23, 2017 of Senator Isiaka Adeleke.
Sequel to the suspension of the staff – Kunle Makanjuola, Adepoju Gbadebo, both of the Marketing Department, and Folakemi Alonge of the News Department – commentators on the social media had linked it to the electoral loss of the APC.
But a top management staff of the OSBC told The Eagle Online that the issues are far deeper that just the election.
The source told The Eagle Online that Makanjuola and Gbadebo made comments unbecoming of civil servants on a WhatsApp group they both belong to.
The source said one of the two told members of the WhatsApp group that the APC government in the state, led by Governor Rauf Aregbesola, embarked on the payment of salary in order to entice the electorate to vote for Hussein.
The government commenced the payment of salary on July 6, two days before the election of July 8.
The staff on WhatsApp said since the State Government was being smart by paying the salary just before the election, the electorates in Osun West Senatorial District should not be swayed by the gesture, but go ahead to vote for Adeleke, the PDP candidate.
In response to the comments on the WhatsApp group, the other Marketing Department staff was said to have retorted: “Oloriburuku Governor.”
Translated to English, it means: “Unfortunate Governor.”
The management staff told The Eagle Online: “As a responsible management, does anyone need to wait before taking any action?
“The bad news is that apart from inciting people against the government, none of this two is from Osun West Senatorial District.
“So it is obvious what their intentions are.
“If as a journalist you equally engage in politics and you are campaigning for a political party, no one can fault you on that.
“After all, one of them, a lawyer, when he was still a staff here, campaigned for the PDP and nothing happened.
“That is his right.
“But not outrightly maligning the government and the leadership of the government with the intention of casting it in bad light.”
On Alonge, the top management staff told The Eagle Online that she was suspended because one of those affected queried why she was spared as she was allegedly seen campaigning during the election for the PDP, accusing the APC-led government of paying only 50 per cent salary.
The source said: “Alonge has been in the office crying and denying the allegation.
“She has been told to put her defence in writing and then be prepared to confront the person who made the allegation.”
When The Eagle Online tried to reach the Director General of the OSBC, Wale Idowu, he was said to be in a Board meeting where the issue of the suspension is being discussed.
The Chairman of the Board was said to be presiding over the meeting.
The Eagle Online gathered that the outcome of the meeting, still ongoing as at press time, would be made public via a press statement later on Tuesday (today).
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