The cross of the former Delta State governor, James Ibori seems to be getting heavier, as the workers of Daily Independent, a Lagos-based national newspaper owned by him, have shut down the organisation.

This is coming at a time that Ibori is struggling hard to redeem his image because of the allegations of corruption against him.

The workers refused to turn up this morning and the gates of the newspaper were shut. Daily Independent was off the newsstands as a result of the strike.

The staff of Daily Independent are disenchanted with the management led by the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ted Iwere.

The workers are complaining that they have not been paid their salaries for the past four months. They also alleged that N11 million belonging to the staff cooperative society has not been paid to the cooperative by the company.

One of the most notable among the grievances of the workers is that for the past eight years, none of the old staff has been promoted, while some of the newly employed ones have been promoted.They are angry that 22 workers considered some of the best hands were sacked last week.

The 22 senior staff members were alleged to have been sacked because they refused to be the mouthpiece of the newspaper owner, Chief Ibori. Some workers alleged that they were forced to launder Ibori’s image by writing editorials, letters to the editor and articles attacking those opposing the embattled ex-governor.

Their refusal was said to have cost them their jobs.

Another complaint of the staff is the undue transfer of the editor of the Sunday edition of the paper, Ogwike Nwachuku to Abuja.

Before the recent development, Daily Independent has had several challenges. There was a time when Ibori brought in Philips Consulting Firm to take over the management of the newspaper, sidelining Ted Iwere.

Ibori later brought in two South Africans to the company. This has, however, not helped the newspaper and its owner, who is facing political difficulties of his own as the governments of the United Kingdom and the USA are said to be scrutinising his finances and bank accounts abroad.

Ibori and some of his associates are facing charges of money laundering in a London court.The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed 6 November to rule on whether to quash the 170-count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Meanwhile, there was protest this morning as members of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) stormed the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs to protest against Ibori who was to deliver a lecture on how to move the Niger Delta forward.

The gates of the NIIA, which are usually thrown open when there is a public lecture, were shut and security was beefed up this morning in anticipation of the protest.

The protesters carried placards and banners and were chanting anti-Ibori songs.

The leader of CACOL, Comrade Debo Adeniran, escaped on a motorcycle when the police tried to arrest him. His colleagues also resisted attempts to arrest Adeniran.

Some of the placards carried by the protesters read: “Ibori you are not qualified to give lecture”; “Ibori; defend yourself in the court room and not lecture room” and “Nigeria should not habour leaders like Ibori”.

Earlier, Adeniran had told P.M.News that the reason for the protest was that one of those causing problem in the Niger Delta was around to give a lecture on the Niger Delta and future of Nigeria. He alleged: “Ibori took the 13 per cent derivation fund meant for the Niger Delta people for himself. We believe that he is not morally qualified to proffer solution to the problem he and his cohorts brought on the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole.

“For a long time, this past governor has been moving from one criminal scandal to another and his associates are being tried for money laundering in London. He himself is facing trial at the Federal High Court, Asaba. We don’t see the moral ground on which somebody standing trial will stand to proffer solution to the problem that is socio-moral.

“We believe that Ibori should not be dignified with any forum of this nature by allowing him to use such a platform to launder an image that is already battered by himself. We are protesting because the court room should be the best place for him to defend himself rather than arranging forum and press briefing to clear himself, despite the fact that he has been given an access to a constitutional platform to defend himself.

Dignitaries like Adams Oshiomhole, Governor of Edo State, Prof. Jubril Aminu, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, Idika Kalu, Sam Amuka-Pemu, Justus Esiri, Tony Irabor and Lulu Enaboifo, had arrived the venue for the lecture at the time of filing this report.

http://news.onlinenigeria.com/templates/?a=9003&z=10

when you dine with the devil,