There was a full scale drama today at the prestigious Nicon Hilton Hotel in Abuja as workers who are owed 14 month salary arrears stormed the meeting room of the Group Managing Director of Energy Group, Jimoh Ibrahim and demanded for their pay.
Ibrahim was speaking at the 5th Energy Group GMD Conference when the distraught workers disrupted the event. The programme was aired live on the African Independent Television, AIT.
Enraged by the unprecedented embarrassment, the self-styled turn-around corporate Surgeon threw caution to the winds and sacked Bolu Afolayan, the Managing Director of one of his companies, Newswatch Media Ltd on live TV.
After announcing the sack of Afolayan, who is said to be Ibrahim’s friend, he went on to appoint on the spot Mr. Demola Abimboye as the new managing director.
It was reported that Ibrahim’s attempt to bully them failed when he called on security operatives to move them out.
Speaking after the protesters had been convinced to have a meeting with some of the Group executives, Ibrahim said he had no apologies owing the staff members because they failed to generate their income after he has given them all the wherewithal to perform optimally.
“I cannot borrow to pay their salaries. It is not sustainable,” Ibrahim said.
According to him, it’s only the media section of 16 companies in his conglomerate that has salary issue. But the man many see as ‘Corporate Bully’, said he’s ready to deal with the problem from that moment.
In line with that, typically of Ibrahim, the eccentric businessman threw overboard the imperatives of rules of engagement in corporate governance and sacked Bolu Afolayan, the Managing Director of Newswatch Media Ltd.
Mr. Demola Abimboye, wo was immediately announced as Afolayan’s replacement, is a seasoned journalist and until now editor of Newswatch Magazine.
He was at the conference when the entire sordid drama played out on live TV.
Abimboye is expected to turn around the fortunes of the monthly magazine.
