Former Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor who founded media conglomerate, Excellence In Broadcasting (EIB) Network has refuted reports making rounds that his media outlet owes workers some 9-month salaries.
According to him, such report is ‘political propaganda’ which should be disregarded.
Reports suggested that the company has, for over nine months now, failed to pay the salaries of staff but Dr Duffuor is doling out cash to NDC foot-soldiers at the expense of the staff.
The development and the seeming nonchalant posture, according to reports, irked the employees, some of whom are said to have embarked on a strike action to register their utmost displeasure about the situation.
News of their intended strike action was first sighted on the social media handle of Ebenezer Donkoh, a Kumasi-based radio presenter with YFM on July 1, 2022.
“Staff of EIB Accra are likely to embark on a strike action effective Monday over unpaid salaries. Some staff are owed over 9 months salaries,” Mr. Donkoh’s tweet read.
The radio presenter on Tuesday, provided an update, disclosing that the agitated staff had been sanctioned for demanding what was due them.
“The management of Starr FM and GhOne TV has directed all staff who participated in the demonstration to seek for their over 9 months’ unpaid salaries to stay off air until further notice,” he stated.
“Unfortunately, the media is not ‘allowed’ to talk about the many challenges of the media. People in my sector suffer some of the worst remunerations and salaries but hey, who am I? They say “lions don’t eat lions”. I’m done with this thing,” another post from the broadcaster popularly known as NYDJ read.
But the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential hopeful in an interview on Thursday July 7, 2022 with Asaase Radio described the report as propaganda and an attempt to score cheap political points.
He indicated that “I have so many companies. I have not had any information that they are not paying themselves … EIB has been there for how many years? For seven to eight years, why will the workers be there and not be treated well?”
“I don’t believe that, it is propaganda, and if I want to support the grassroots of my party (NDC ) what is wrong with that? Do you know what they go through? Go and see what they are going through in the rural areas …”
By Vincent Kubi