•‘They ‘ve no case’
Some ex-workers of De Skyline Hotel in Ikeja have accused the management of sacking them without paying their entitlements.
The protesters, who are members of the Youth League for Change, marched through the nearby PWD, bus stop, waving placards with inscriptions: “Segun Awolowo stop victimising our ladies, stop harassing and sacking workers unjustly, salary is not a gift, we worked for it”.
Mr Sunday Abbah, who led the protest said it was informed by the non-acknowledgment of their petition by the hotel’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Segun Awolowo.
Awolowo owns three hotels (De Skyline Hotel and two Country Guest Houses) in Ikeja.
The protesters accused Awolowo of verbal insult, abuse, exploitation, intimidation and unlawful sack without payment.
A victim, Miss Hadijat Issa who was initially employed as a receptionist and later became the manager of the Hotel at Ikeja narrated her ordeal.
She said: “The problem is whenever Mr Awolowo comes back from abroad, he always sack his workers and employ new ones. When he came back in May, he called me to come and meet him at Skyline hotel, on getting there, I met him and the new Skyline Manager that was employed two weeks before his arrival. He ordered the new manager and me to stay at Skyline for one week for recruiting exercise. The following week, he called me to a meeting to flush out some workers in Country Guest House. It took him just one week to sack almost all the workers and replaced them with new ones. He told me that my administration is not good, that things were stolen and a customer checked in without payment”.
Natasha Okon who worked as a receptionist said “I started on January 30th. After three weeks, I was transferred to Country Guest House. I was sacked in May. He just called me one day and said ‘you are still here, you have not been sacked? Three days later, I went to work only for the security to bar me from entering. They will tell the gateman not to open the gate for you, that was how they sack there”
Contacted, Awolowo’s lawyer, Louis Nwaugbala said: “I don’t want to talk to you; I have every right not to talk to you. Those people are involved in a criminal case”.
An officer at the Police Airport Command, Austine Osabase, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), urged the parties to resolved the issue amicably. He called Nwangbala, who denied knowledge of the petition sent to the management.
Nwaugbala told The Nation on phone: “If you hear from me, you have heard from the horse’s mouth. What they did (protest) is tantamount to taking law in their hands; if there are issues, there are processes to follow. Mr Awolowo is not even in the position to say anything; moreover he is not in the country. The last time he came to the country was last December. There is a particular customer of ours, a lawyer who works with the Ministry of Justice, Abuja. On that particular day, she wanted to go out and she was interrogated as to where she was going to and she answered that she will be back soon. These people took her keys and stole most of her belongings. She noticed it but had an urgent meeting in Abuja to attend to and she travelled back. She sent her sister down here to take over the case. One was even caught with stolen money in her underwear. All these people are criminals and irresponsible.
“When Mr Segun Awolowo was briefed about this, he was not happy with the development. I can categorically tell you that all what they have said are issues of lies. When you run a business and your things keep getting missing or stolen, what step will you take?” he asked
