The
General Manager of Glory FM in Bayelsa state who flogged four of his
duty staffers has opened up on the real reasons why he embarked on such
punishment.
John Idumange
Mr John Idumange, the General Manager, Radio Bayelsa “Glory FM”, on Friday confirmed that he flogged four union leaders of the station in self-defence.
Idumange told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Yenagoa
that the incident happened on Monday after the union leaders shut down
the FM station operated by the state government.
The Radio Bayelsa Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and
Radio Television and Theatre Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU) had alleged
that Idumange was running the station outside public service rules.
Idumange, who explained the details of the incident to NAN, alleged
that the unions in the station were working against his reforms aimed
at repositioning the broadcast outfit.
“At about 7.20 p.m on Monday, the day RATTAWU and NUJ embarked
on strike, I heard voices near my window. So I went out to see what was
happening. I saw four persons, one of them a lady.
“I could recognise Tonye Yemoleigha, one of the union leaders,
who was in white shirt. I asked why they were there after chasing away
all the workers,” he said.
According to him, “Tonye stood up and asked if the compound
belonged to me. At that point I discovered he was ready for a fight but I
did not bulge.
“He brought his hands near my eyes so I blocked it. I had
learnt Karate years back. One of them threw a chair at me and they all
rushed to fight me. I had to fight back in self-defence. They could have
beaten me up but my Karate skills rescued me,” he said.
Idumange, who was appointed on Dec. 6, 2016, claimed that he recently uncovered a N5.7 million fraud and redeployed some staff.
“The transferred workers have been meeting with them at NUJ Centre, they benefitted from the corruption and are fighting back,” Idumange said.
Reacting, Mr Tonye Yemoleigha, the NUJ Chairman in Radio Bayelsa,
said that the unions had reported the incident at Ekeki Police Division.
“Four of us, myself and three staff were flogged by Idumange
himself. The report that it was thugs is inaccurate. It was the general
manager himself that attacked and beat us up.
“We have reported the matter to the Ekeki Police Division and
sought medical attention at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa. Workers
have been constantly intimidated and threatened for no just cause.
“Mr John Angese, Bayelsa Council Chairman of NUJ who is a staff of Radio Bayelsa, has also been threatened with a sack. We are all being victimised for insisting that the General Manager complies with Public Service Rules.
“We have been under siege since he was appointed on Dec. 6,
2016. We are not opposed to repositioning the station which is in our
interest, but we want the procedure to follow due process,” Yemoleigha said.
NAN reports that after the station went off air, the management
mobilised armed security men and few employees who rebuffed the strike
and reopened the station.
Yemoleigha said that workers of the station were not opposed to staff redeployment.
“But we are insisting that the unions should also be part of
the process to ensure that the best hands are not sacrificed on the
altar of nepotism, sentiment or witch-hunt.
“We are also aware of the alleged N5 million payroll fraud
which Idumange claimed to have uncovered which has been referred to the
Police for investigation.
“Ordinarily, in line with established procedures, an
investigative panel should have been instituted to look into the matter
and come up with a report with which management would act.
“All these are expressly spelt out in the Public Service Rules;
however, we are also requesting for a copy of the police report after
their investigation,” Yemoleigha said.
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