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Kazeem Popoola, the initiator of
Nigerian Broadcasters Awards, and a former entertainment writer with the
National Mirror Newspapers whose entertainment page with the national Mirror,
tagged Entervaganza, has contributed immensely to the continuous transformation
of the entertainment industry had
recently being relieved of his job after there was a fallout between him and
the Managing Director/ Editor-in-Chief of National Mirror over his trip to
South Africa to cover the opening ceremony of the 2012 edition of the Big
Brother Africa StarGame. The fallout that led to series of other issues
prompted his sack which according to Kazeem was like a fairy tale, better
imagined than to believe. In this
excerpt, Kazeem expresses his disappointment over his summary dismissal, even
as he asserts that the management of National Mirror got it all wrong in their
reason for his sack, affirming that they were yet to disclose why he was asked
to leave.
Kazeem had told our correspondent that it was
high time he reacted to the sack and a host of other injustices done to him
after National Mirror had cooked up different lies against him in their
different publications since the National Mirror/ Charly Boy saga started.
He said “ Haven noted that
silence is a criminal offence in the face of injustice; I have decided to break
my silence over my exit from National Mirror newspaper and my link to the gay/
Illuminati story published about Charlyboy on Saturday Mirror.
“It is still like a fairy tale to
me, considering the way I left National Mirror with so much injustices
inflicted on my person.
“The saga began on Thursday May
3, 2012, when I decided to embark on a trip to South Africa to cover the official
opening of the 2012 edition of the Big Brother Africa Star Game. I didn’t
really take MultiChoice, the organizers of the yearly TV reality show,
seriously when I got the letter that I was part of the two Nigerian journalists
selected to make the trip to South Africa to cover the event. This is because I
had been selected in the past three editions of the event, but later dropped
few days before the opening ceremony, so I had thought that the last invitation
I got would not be different from their past failed promises. However, they
debunked my misgivings when they called me at MultiChoice office to get my name
registered for the trip. Little did I know that the MD/ Editor-in-Chief of
National Mirror Newspapers, Steve Ayorinde had been snooping around their
offices just to know who will be travelling from National Mirror? On arrival at
their office, I was approached by one of their staff who asked to know whether
the MD was aware of my plan to travel. Because I had not told Steve, I was
advised by the same person to go and discuss the development with him. I
decided that I was going to discuss the matter with him before I travel.
However, after I collected my visa to South Africa, we were told to get
prepared to fly that same day.
“I quickly rushed to the office and was told
that Steve was looking for me. I hurriedly ran into his office to update him on
the development. He asked me to do them a letter if I was the one travelling
for the show. I quickly rushed over the
letter since I was supposed to be travelling that same day, and also
considering that I had to finish my weekend stories before travelling. When I
finished, I had to drop a letter for him and also copied Saturday Editor as
earlier instructed. I also took my time
to explain to my editor how the whole South African thing started, stressing on
how it took me by surprise. After I had
done that, I left to go and complete my materials for Saturday edition. I left
the office around 4.30 that same day, and headed to go and prepare for my trip.
Narrating how National Mirror tried to
frustrate his trip, Kazeem said “When I was around Ikorodu, by 6.30 pm to be
precise, I got a call from my editor who wanted to know if I had been permitted
by the Admin before embarking on the trip. I told her that I wasn’t told to do
so, and that I had done what I was told to do. She then put me through to Steve
who denied that what I did was not what he instructed me to do. I just didn’t
want to argue with him on the phone when he asked me to return back to the office,
that I was no longer travelling. I had
wanted to go back to the office, but it then means that I was going to miss my
flight, so I decided to call the MultiChoice’s Head of Corporate Affairs to
explain the situation to him, who in turns told me not to bother so much about
the development as he was going to talk to him on my behalf. I felt relieved
momentarily after that assurance.
“I had to send Steve a text
message that same evening to explain why I was unable to go back to the office
as he had requested. Unfortunately, I got a query letter from National mirror
stating that I absconded from the office.
Speaking on how he felt when the
query got to him, Kazeem said ”With such terrible news, the aim of my trip to
South Africa was partially defeated as I couldn’t concentrate on what I went to
do in South Africa. I returned back to Nigeria on Monday May 7, very ill and
reported back to work.
I was advised to see Steve in
order to resolve the issue and when I tried to do so, I was confronted with the
big question” are you still working in this office? He walked out on me angrily
saying that I took him for a fool, after which I did a reply to the query I
received when I was in S.A.
On Thursday May 10, after I had
finished my weekend stories, I was then handed over a letter of an indefinite
suspension. Because, I was very ill, I couldn’t wait for my editor to come to
the office before I left, as I was only able to reach her via SMS when I had
already gotten to the house.
Speaking on how National Mirror connected his
sack to the Charlyboy/ National Mirror’s saga, Kazeem said “It was when I was
on suspension that a story was published on National Mirror website that
Charlyboy had confessed being gay and head of Illuminati in Nigeria. I felt bad when some people began to throw
darts at me that I was the one who published the story on National Mirror
because it was published even in my name.
“Charlyboy who responded almost
immediately had issued a press released warning National Mirror to retract the
story. Both my denial of not having any knowledge of the published story as
well as Charlyboy press release were published on Nigerian Broadcaster’s Awards
Website, which Steve believed was owned by me.
Surprisingly, instead of calling me back from suspension for what they
termed ‘Disobedience’, it was sack letter they e-mailed to me. They wrote in
the letter that I have been dismissed for my action toward Charly Boy gay
story.
As I speak to you, my salary for
the month of April has not been paid. Although, the initial indefinite
suspension took effect from Thursday May 10, 2012, my April salary ought to
have been paid even before I went on Suspension. This has made me to understand the
speculation going around that somebody used me as a scape-goat in order to get
what he wants from Multichoice. I wonder
why someone should because of his own selfish gain deal with me. It is
ridiculous.
“So ridiculous is the fact that I
was not given a sack letter because I travelled to South Africa, but my letter
of sack was based on my disloyalty to National mirror as a result of
Charlyboy’s press release published on a website that did not carry my name
neither my byline. I still wonder why the issue of loyalty to Charlyboy didn’t
come up prior to now , I wonder why it is now that Nation Mirror which I had worked with for the past
four years (Three years with old Mirror and a year plus with new) could
suddenly turn around and begin to talk about my disloyalty to the company. It
is quite amazing. It’s amazing that the same writer (National Mirror staff) who
presently writes for Ed Jato and National Mirror, and who is equally
responsible for the publication of the gay story has not been dealt with.
Believe me, there are more questions than answers.”
Reacting to the claim by Ed Jato that
Charlyboy admitted being gay and head of Illuminati in Nigeria, Kazeem said “As
for the case between National Mirror, Charlyboy and ED Jato, I was with
Charlyboy in his hotel room in Ikeja when Jato called to inquire if an
interview with the Areafada was possible. I had told Charlyboy that Jato
shouldn’t be granted that interview due to his antics and considering what he (
Jato) had said about Charlyboy when he returned from abroad a couple of years
ago. It was like granting an interview to an enemy. What would one expect from
such enemy? I was not surprised when the gay allegation came up because I knew
Jato was going to capitalize on that opportunity to rubbish CB, aside that, it
was also an opportunity for him to launch himself back as a failed
artiste. I was with them throughout the
duration of the interview, and I didn’t hear at any point when Charlyboy told
Jato that he was gay and Head of Nigerian Illuminati. It’s quite hilarious to
note that Jato would attempt to sell his brand through such a cheap publicity”
Kazeem affirmed that unless he
was out of the hotel when the comment was made or Charlyboy made the comment
somewhere else, if not, he would refer to Jato’s claim as a white lie. “I was with them during the interview, and I
didn’t hear anything like that. I remember hearing Charlyboy telling Jato that
there is nothing he could actually do successfully.
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