Ondo State Media Workers Protest Working Conditions And Deny Access To The Director General

Ladi Akeredolu-Ale

Media workers at Ondo State Radio-Vision Corporation surprised many yesterday when they held a protest complaining about long hours, and appalling working conditions, and prevented the Director General, Ladi Akeredulo-Ale, from entering the station.

Chanting solidarity songs in the OSRC compound in Orita Obele Estate Junction, Ijare Road in Akure, workers, under the auspices of the Joint Negotiated Council, blocked the station's entrance.  

Thirty police officers, led by the State Assistant Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, met protestors at the front gate joined by two armored personnel carriers and five police patrol vans.  A media worker, requesting anonymity, said the heavy police presence was the result of allegations spread by the Director General that protestors had threatened to burn down the station if the government failed to look into their demands.

Mr. Taiwo Ibitoye a spokesman for the workers, said journalists were suffering in silence, working like slaves but paid peanuts. And when workers did complain they were fired by the Director General.

Workers said the station which promotes the work of State government is in a shambles and a state of collapse despite the yearly Internally Generated Revenue profile and acclaimed state investment of Naira 90 million.

The State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko brought in the Director General, was previously with Channels Television in Lagos.  During the DG's tenure at the OSRC, Akeredulo-Ale has not created growth or development at the station. 

In a statement issued by the workers to journalists in Akure, titled OSRC in Limbo, Who Will Save Us? and from statements made by workers at the protest, there are a litany of complaints:

- Workers work under duress with their mornings starting at 5 am and ending at 12 pm;

- The building is collapsing and the equipment is moribund;

- The station hasn't been fumigated for the past four years, workers fear snakes and one snake bit an engineer, who luckily survived;

- The Radio Station (96.5FM), a kilometer from the Television station, in the same compound is dying, and the Television station lacks necessary equipment;

- There is a lack of fully operational news vehicles which has affected news gathering and packaging;

- News and Current Affairs department is said to be generating more than Naira 200,000 every week but the money has not been accounted for;

- Training and re-training of workers has been on hold since 2010;

- The Transmitter is pumping less than five percent and has been affected by termites;

- The Television Audio and Editing suite has collapsed with the station voicing through the use of Electronic News Gathering (ENG) Cameras;

- Civil Service Allowance, approved for every workers by the Governor, has been removed from the OSRC salary since January.

- Wardrobe allowance for staff appearing on Television Programs and Newscaster is N2000,00 not increased since 2004 despite inflation;

- The traditional Christmas and New year palliatives are no longer forthcoming.

It was learn't that the state government supplied diesel to the corporation since 2009 without collecting anything from its IGR but there was no explanation about how the IGR was spent.

A worker said, "We are tired of all this injustice on the state media workers. We don't know what is happening to the Revenue generated by the station. The worker's welfare is not a priority."

He added, "We are suffering, and even the training and re-training of workers is on hold since 2010. This is worse, when the newsroom ranks as the worst among its peers. This is a Station where none of the workers are enjoying their work and even working under duress, pressure and many are even fired while salaries are deducted outrageously for punishment."

Workers said the Ondo State Governor was probably not aware of the numerous challenges facing the station because management, led by the Director General blocked their complaints from reaching the governor.                 

After calling the Director General's mobile number for his reaction to the various allegations but he did not respond.  A second call received no response, and text messages were not returned.

Government house sources said the Governor, who was not around during the protest, is most likely to summon the Management of the station.