13th January, 2014
Abiodun Onafuye/ Abeokuta
Former governor of Ogun state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel has vowed to resuscitate the Compass newspaper, now suspended from the newsstands.
Daniel who spoke at the weekend in Sagamu, Ogun state, western Nigeria, at an interaction with journalists who came to attend a workshop organised by ‘Political Academy’, blamed journalist-staff of the newspaper for bringing the paper to ruins.
“You will all recall that when we started then, newspapers like The Nation, The Sun and even ThisDay were put on their toes then, with the welfare packages we put in place. We bought 36 cars for all our
correspondents across the country and they were all adequately taken cared of, even, those at the head office were so happy with the welfare packages they enjoyed until you people finished everything”.
He said his decision to start the paper, while he was in office as governor of Ogun state, stemmed from his love for the media men, but regretted the destruction of the newspaper by the same media men.
“I sit down and think of what to do and I concluded within me that I should establish one and make it a place where the pen men would be well taken care of and free to perform effectively and efficiently,
but, alas!, what did I see, it is the same journalists that I was fighting for that ruined the company. They destroyed the company and nearly made it go bankrupt, but, I can promise you here today, that,
the company is coming back soon, back and better”, he said.
He denied founding the newspaper to be an attack dog on his political opponents.
He also denied that he was planning to sell the newspaper company, to businessman and publisher, Jimoh Ibrahim.
He defended publishers who are unable to meet the welfare needs of workers.
“You have to understand that someone that established a newspaper house does so to make profit, it is a business enterprise and all hands must be on deck by all and sundry for its survival. A situation whereby
some people among the stakeholders is not performing as expected, that would be a beginning of downfall to such company, which was part of what contributed to the problems faced by Compass. It is you people, I
mean, the journalists that killed the newspaper.
He said the company is being reorganized and restructured to continue adding its quota to the
media industry in the country.