Reports reaching our news desk this afternoon reveals that The Daily Times publisher, Fidelis Anosike, has sacked the title Editor of the paper, Biodun Durojaiye, for speaking to the management over unpaid staff salaries.
It was reliably gathered that the company owes staff salaries in batches from May to date, while some staff still have staggered salaries from January 2016.
Durojaiye, was appointed in December 2015, to replace the former Editor, Yinka Olujimi, who was recalled after the paper clocked one year last year but had a rethink and left the organisation.
It was learnt that Durojaiye wrote to the Group General Manager, Olisa Egbunike, complaining about staff poor attitude to work, pleading that if the staggered salaries could be paid; but when the mail was sent to the Publisher, Mr. Anosike, he immediately ordered his sack.
The development, we gather has left all staff at the organisation perplexed with many now wondering what their fate would be since there is no one to speak for them.
When our correspondent visited the paper’s offices at Agindingbi, Ikeja in Lagos, the editorial staffs were discussing the development in whispers.
A pioneer line editor who spoke in confidence said “it is a sad development; like a bad story repeating all over again. It is when salaries are due for payment that they begin to call for endless meetings where everything else is discussed except the wages.”
It would be recalled that the paper which had slashed staff salaries several times in the short period wrote off three months of staff wages without notice and without explanation to the staff.
Meanwhile, the business world which seem to be getting used to the idea that The Daily Times has come to stay after several attempts in the past that were aborted within months may be disappointed as the graphic artists, we learnt are not ready to work without pay.
Efforts to get word from the management proved unsuccessful as the Group General Manager, Olise Egbunike was not available for comment.
