LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF PEOPLES DAILY: CAN INJUSTICE BE SOLVED WITH INJUSTICE?

I write to inform you that I was employed by Peoples Media Limited, publishers of Peoples Daily newspapers in November 2010 and had since that time served in various capacities until I voluntarily resigned my appointment as the Business Editor on February 1st 2015, due to non-payment of salaries, which in my own case was for SIXTEEN (sixteen) months, to the tune of N1, 674,298.22 (One million, six hundred and seventy-four thousand two hundred and ninety eight naira, twenty-two kobo only).

In the same month I resigned from the company, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) e-mailed me a 3-page advertorial for onward publication in Peoples Daily newspaper (which is normal during my period of service with the organization) and which I immediately forwarded to the newspaper and which was subsequently published.

On April 7, 2015, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) paid into my bank account the sum of N 1,148,459.00 (One million, one hundred and forty-eight thousand, four hundred and fifty-nine Naira only), being payment in respect of the 3-page advertorial placed in the newspaper. However, I decided to utilize the said sum to reduce my outstanding sixteen months' unpaid salaries the company owed me, thereby reducing the outstanding unpaid salaries amounting to N525,839.22.

I emailed the company, stating the reason for my action, which was that the likelihood of my getting paid the outstanding salaries was almost NON-EXISTENT, and at best very very slim, given the penchant of several media organizations in Nigeria, who have formed the habit of never settling their out-gone staff their unpaid outstanding salaries, which has almost become the rule rather than the exception. Moreover, it is on record that Peoples Daily have NEVER paid any out-gone staff their unpaid outstanding salaries, which if otherwise would NEVER have made me to embark on my course of action, because of the hope that I might one day perhaps be paid my 16 month's legitimate entitlements.

Given the existing scenario and the prevailing negative economic situation, coupled with the fact that there is no any pension/gratuity to fall back on, I believe this was the only course of action open to me, which became necessary ONLY BECAUSE I HAD NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE.

Thereafter, the company published a disclaimer against me in their newspaper, stating that I obtained money under false pretences and absconded, which is false, because it did not give a TRUE account of the whole picture that led to my action, but was one-sided, just to portray me in bad light as if I made away with shareholders' funds, thereby misleading the public.

In my email to the company, I attempt to get the management to empathize with the pain and suffering that I endured from the non-payment of my dues failed, even after stating to them that I have willingly forfeited the still outstanding unpaid salaries amounting to N525,839.22.

I have refrained from pursuing the legal option open to me to protect my name and reputation because I have expected that common sense would override the company's bitterness of losing its expected funds.

Although enough damage has been done to my person through the disclaimer publication, it is not my wish to engage in any needless legal tussle with the company, which would only negatively expose and damage the company's reputation, preferring that bygones be bygones, except as a last resort.

I rest my case in the court of public opinion and ALMIGHTY ALLAH (TWA)'s judgment.

Written by Aminu  Imam.
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