Sex scandal rocks NAN, shocking letter sent to MD Ali

By Isa Isawade

A shocking letter to the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Ali Muhammad Ali, written by Dr Femi Ogunshola, detailing a persistent incident of sexual harassment and victimisation against a staff of the agency has surfaced.

A young lady by the name, Miss Ogunola Folashade Adunni, who is a staff member at the Accounts Department of NAN has allegedly suffered persistent sexual harassment and victimisation from a senior member of staff.

The senior staffer allegedly kept pestering Miss Ogunola who has been employed as a casual employee for four years after completing her one-year-service of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme with the agency.

Continued refusal of the senior officer’s relentless advances by Miss Ogunola has allegedly earned her endless victimaisation and mistreatment at the agency.

The last straw that broke the camel’s back came when NAN was regularising employment of graduates who had been serving with the organisation on casual basis. Ogunola was placed on a grade level far below her qualification as a punishment for rejecting the love affair.

Below is the full letter written by Dr Ogunshola to seek justice for the hapless female staffer. The letter was first published on the verified Facebook page of Ogunshola:

Femi Ogunshola Ph.d

An Open Letter to the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Mr Ali M Ali

Writing this open letter was never my preferred course of action. It comes only after exhausting every internal channel available to me in an effort to resolve an issue that I believe strikes at the heart of fairness, transparency, and the integrity of the News Agency of Nigeria.

Unfortunately, those efforts have yielded no meaningful resolution, leaving me with no option but to appeal publicly.

I have called your number several times to intimate you about this disturbing development happening under your watch, but no headway.

Considering the magnitude of the situation, I also reached out to the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, to draw his attention to this issue, especially as a former Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria.

He requested that I forward the details of the matter for his attention, which I did. I subsequently followed up with telephone call but I have not received a feedback so far.

I believe this may be due to the nature of his responsibilities as the President’s spokesperson, as he was very receptive and even shared some light banter with me during our initial conversation.

The lady at the centre of this issue is Miss Ogunola Folashade Adunni. She graduated from Nasarawa State University with a degree in Accounting. She served in the Accounts Department of the News Agency of Nigeria during her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) from 27 March 2019 to March 2020.

Owing to her dedication and commitment to duty, her service was extended as a casual employee through the support of the former Director of Finance and Accounts, Mr. Dele Oladipo Ojo.

However, during the recent recruitment exercise at NAN, she was placed on Grade Level 5 Step 2

What is most surprising is that some of her colleagues, who were also employed as casual workers, were placed on Grade Level 9 despite the fact that Miss Ogunola had been engaged prior to some of them.

Before now, I got wind of the fact that Miss Ogunola had been subjected to persistent and unwelcome personal advances by an official connected with the recruitment process. It has further been alleged that after repeatedly rejecting those advances, decisions affecting her employment were influenced to her detriment.

These allegations are extremely serious. I do not present them as established facts, but they are sufficiently grave to warrant why she was singled out to be placed on Grade Level 5 step 2 by the individual responsible.

I was made to understand that the official believed that Ogunola was dating the former Director of Finance and Accounts, Mr. Dele Oladipo Ojo, hence, she has no reason whatsoever not to be receptive to his own advances even though it was all a lie.

When all efforts to woo her failed, it is alleged that the official resorted to victimising her, culminating in her placement on Grade Level 5 step 2, a grade ordinarily associated with lower or secondary school certificate entry qualifications, despite her degree in Accounting and nearly four years of service as a casual employee of the agency and her service to the agency as NYSC.

I spoke with Mr. Abdulhadi Khaliel, the former Director of Administration and now your Personal Assistant, to understand what could have gone wrong. His explanation was, in my view, untenable.

According to him, “It is destiny that placed her on Level 5 and that she could be upgraded at a later date.”

With due respect, such an explanation does little to address legitimate concerns about fairness, equity, and due process. Employment decisions in a federal public institution should be based on established guidelines, qualifications, and merit, not on fate or future promises.

A university graduate in NAN that I used to know should be on Grade Level 8. This is even when others who reportedly did not sit for the recruitment examination were employed and properly placed.

Even more disturbing is the fact that recruitment was reportedly still taking place discreetly. So the excuse that her case is closed has no justification but only being punished for her action.

How does upgrading her later justify placing a university graduate with almost four years of service as a casual employee on Grade Level 5 Step when the appropriate placement should ordinarily be Level 9? This is despite her colleague in the same department as a casual worker was engaged on Grade Level 9.

I understand that the official initially refused to employ her but when it was too obvious to be ignored, the official decided to reduce her to Grade Level 5 Step 2 as a way of telling her that he wield power and can make or mar forgetting that every action comes with consequence either here or hereafter and we shall all be accountable for every of our deed.

My conversation with the Editor-in-Chief revealed that when he became aware of the situation, he made several attempts to persuade your Personal Assistant to review her placement and assign her to the appropriate level. Unfortunately, those efforts were unsuccessful.

He further informed me that when another female applicant declined her offer of employment, because of location, he approached your PA to recommend that Ogunola be exchange for the vacant position. According to him, this request was also declined, while she remained on Grade Level 5 step 2.

This situation is deeply concerning and appears to fall short of the expectations many staffers had when you assumed office as Managing Director.

I understand that many people, including members of staff, have attempted to draw your attention to this matter, but no action has been taken.

There is now a growing perception that those responsible for these decisions wield considerable influence and act without accountability under your administration.

In the course of making enquiries into recent developments at the News Agency of Nigeria, I have come across several disturbing reports.

I am concerned that under your leadership, the agency appears to be losing the credibility, integrity, and professional values for which it was once widely respected.

This is not the same agency that was led by the late Mrs. Oluremi Oyo, Mr. Akin Osuntokun, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, and Mr. Ima Niboro, all of whom, in their various ways, contributed to preserving the agency’s reputation.

I urge you to use your office to address this matter pronto. It is affecting the integrity and public perception of the News Agency of Nigeria. An institution once held in the highest esteem should never be associated with allegations of unfairness and impropriety.

Please do not take this letter lightly. Address these concerns and return to the ideals and promises you made when you assumed office as Managing Director.

Do not allow any Director or Personal Assistant to damage the reputation you seek to build. Resist any actions capable of tarnishing your name and take decisive leadership where necessary.

I am aware that this letter may expose Miss Ogunola to hardship, victimisation, or even possible disengagement. I sincerely hope that this will not be the case.

I appeal to you to approach this matter with sensitivity, examine it objectively, and ensure that justice is done so that confidence in your leadership and the reputation of the agency can be restored.

Take it that neither you nor those acting to tarnish your name will be in NAN forever, but the name Ali M Ali will bear all the misdeed done with or without your consent.

Late Dame Oluremi Oyo today is an household name in NAN because of the legacy she built and how she affected individual staff positively. And for this, her soul must continue to rest peacefully.

Miss Ogunola did not ask me to write this letter, in fact, she may lose sleep over it because of the possible repercussions. I have chosen to do so out of genuine concern for Africa’s largest news agency and the need to protect its core values.

I believe that speaking out at this moment is an act of loyalty to the institution and of commitment to the principles upon which it was built.

*Dr Ogunshola, a former staff member of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), lives in the UK.