Mr. Durojaiye Hassan, the former LEADERSHIP newspaper staff that is being harassed and intimidated by the publisher of the newspaper, Mr. Sam Nda Isaiah, over about 400 pages of advert commission from Kogi state government has said that he has uncovered plans to forge a dismissal letter against him.
Mr. Hassan is currently having a running battle with Mr. Nda-Isaiah over about 400 pages of advert commission placed in the newspaper by the Kogi state government and three years salary arrears of N4.8million.
For over a week now, a “Disclaimer” advert has been running in the newspaper against Hassan.
According to a letter of acceptance of resignation of appointment sent to Mr. Hassan, by the Management of the newspaper, dated July 9th, 2017 and signed by Mrs.Z.D. Tanko, General Manager, Human Capital, it was evident that Mr. Hassan duely resigned from the organisation and was not dismissed.
The letter reads, ” Re: Resignation of Appoointment.
Following your notice of resignation of appointment, I wish to inform you that you letter has been accepted with effect from July 10th, 2017.
“You are therefore, required to hand over the company’s ID card and other properties in your possession (if any) to the office of the Assistant General Manager, Administration.
“On behalf of the management, I wish you success in your. Future endeavour”.
Mr. Hassan alleged, ” it has been uncovered that there are plans to forge a dismissal letter and put in my file in exchanges of the resignation letter.
“There have also been plans to use the Inspector-General of Police to arrest me since they are both kinsmen.
“There are also plans to look for available means to criminalise me by looking through my past advert record dealings in the company”
Hassan also alleged that efforts are being made to cover up on the tax evasion and my pension contributions by the company.
Last week, counsel to Hassan,
Barr. Omileye Olamide Ayoola, while briefing journalists in Abuja explained that Hassan, who was employed by the newspaper in 2011 until he resigned voluntarily in July 2017 had three years outstanding arrears of his salary to the tune N4.8million unpaid.
The lawyer, however, said his client fell apart with the newspaper when Hassan, through the good relationship he had established in the past secured a 400 pages advertisement from Kogi State government to the tune of N45.5m.
“The payment for this advert was done through Hassan’s personal account. The monies were paid into his account in his individual capacity and not as a staff of leadership newspaper but more or less as an agent through which they could have paid the assignment through other newspapers since he became a free agent after his resignation from the newspaper in July, 2017.
“In the course of this payment, some monies were lodged to my client account which he appropriately remitted to LEADERSHIP newspaper and took less N3M as commission which was an agreement between him and management of the newspaper. This N3m was a token out of the contract worth N45.5million.
” The explanation for this is that he paid N39.5m into leadership newspaper, took N3m as agreed between him and the management of leadership newspaper and another N1m which was supposed to be given to the Kogi State government house staff to facilitate the payment as agreed and approved by the management of leadership newspaper as well.
“My client also took N2m, part of the salary arrears; this was also done with the agreement of the management of leadership newspaper” the lawyer stated.
Hassan lawyer expressed shocked that instead of honouring the agreement with his client, Nda -Isaiah resorted to intimidating and harassment of his client with the police.
” My client was harassed, arrested, intimidated and detained by the police for no crime committed under our laws. As a law abiding citizen, he has always made himself available at every given time as requested by the police force” he added.