Former National Pilot Manager Defends Adedamola, Says Salary Arrears Were 29 Months, Not 4½ Years

Featured By Tunde Rufai

A former Production Manager of National Pilot Newspaper, Tunde Rufai, has dismissed allegations of corruption and mismanagement against the newspaper’s former Managing Director, Billy Adedamola, insisting that his tenure was marked by improved accountability, staff welfare and efforts to revive the company.

Rufai, who also handled administrative responsibilities during his time at the newspaper, said he was compelled to speak out because he personally witnessed the events surrounding the management of the company.

He said he was also among the 30 former staff members who benefited from the first batch of salary-arrears payments.

In a statement titled “Setting the Record Straight: My Account of Billy Adedamola’s Management of National Pilot,” Rufai said Adedamola introduced tighter controls over the company’s finances, particularly advertising and sales revenue.

According to him, advertisers were required to pay directly into the company’s account, while documentation and sales records were strengthened to improve accountability.
He said the former MD also stopped the practice of using personal accounts to receive advertising payments.

Rufai said Adedamola’s administration also introduced several staff welfare initiatives, including salary increases, improved welfare packages and a 13th-month salary equivalent to a full month’s pay.

He added that the company’s corporate office in Ilorin was renovated and furnished at a cost of more than N20 million, with air-conditioning, streetlights and Wi-Fi provided.

He said billboards were also erected at strategic locations in Ilorin, while circulation vehicles were acquired.

Rufai maintained that the projects were funded from the company’s internally generated revenue and alleged that Adedamola neither obtained a bank loan nor received external financial support to execute them.

Adedamola introduced audit, accountability measures

The former production manager said Adedamola initiated a staff audit and engaged an auditor to examine the workforce, adding that the report remained available at the company’s office.

He said an external audit firm was also approached to conduct a comprehensive audit of the company’s finances during Adedamola’s tenure.

According to him, the audit could not proceed because the firm demanded about N2 million, which the company could not afford at the time.

Rufai said the former MD also held regular general meetings involving staff at all levels, where issues concerning the company’s finances, operations, welfare and challenges were discussed.

He further stated that staff who secured advertisements received the agreed 25 per cent commission.

He recalled that a staff member, Christy Doyin, received N500,000 as commission from a wraparound advertisement placed by former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed during his 2015 re-election campaign.

‘Adedamola rejected personal share from Glo deal’

Rufai also recalled accompanying Adedamola to Lagos to pursue an advertising deal with Glo.
He said the advertising revenue was paid directly into National Pilot’s account, while Adedamola declined to collect any commission from the deal.

According to him, the commission was left for him, which he subsequently shared with some members of staff.

Rufai further alleged that Adedamola never demanded a share of advertising commissions or money received by reporters from assignments.

He also claimed that the former MD used his personal vehicle for official duties and rejected a proposal by a car dealer to provide him with an official vehicle on an instalment basis.

Former manager explains newspaper’s financial crisis

Rufai attributed the newspaper’s financial difficulties partly to the high cost of production and the failure of the company’s printing press to attract sufficient external jobs.

He said the press had been acquired before Adedamola’s tenure with the expectation that it would generate additional income through commercial printing.

However, according to him, the expected external printing business did not materialise.
Rufai, who was in charge of production, said producing each edition of the newspaper cost between N130,000 and N150,000 at the time.

With the newspaper publishing about nine editions monthly, he said production alone could cost more than N600,000 monthly, excluding salaries, maintenance, production materials and other expenses.

He added that the company was also owed millions of naira in outstanding advertising payments, some of which eventually became bad debts despite efforts to recover them.

Online transition affected some staff

Rufai said the newspaper’s transition from physical production to increased online publication also contributed to grievances among some former employees.

He explained that some workers had specific responsibilities connected to the physical production and distribution of the newspaper, including press operations, circulation, maintenance and fuel procurement.

According to him, the reduction in physical production activities naturally affected those responsibilities and associated opportunities.

He, however, insisted that the shift to online publishing was a business decision aimed at reducing operating costs and adapting to changes in the media industry.

Rufai raises questions over circulation vehicle
The former production manager also called for a broader examination of accountability at National Pilot, saying scrutiny should not be restricted to the management.

He specifically raised allegations concerning a former circulation officer, Ahmed Ibrahim.
Rufai alleged that for more than six months, sales revenue was not remitted to the company and that there was no clear account of how the money was handled.

He also alleged that a company circulation vehicle was sold without approval.

According to him, the company attempted to recover the vehicle, but an intervention by a prominent cleric led to the management dropping plans to arrest and prosecute Ibrahim.
Rufai challenged Ibrahim to respond to the allegations.

‘National Pilot owed 29 months, not 4½ years’
On the controversy over salary arrears, Rufai disputed claims that workers were owed four-and-a-half years of salaries.

He said the arrears under discussion amounted to 29 months, arguing that this should not be interpreted as the company failing to pay workers for four-and-a-half consecutive years.

According to him, the company experienced serious financial difficulties, particularly between 2017 and 2021, resulting in irregular salary payments.

He said workers sometimes received full salaries, partial payments or no payment for particular months, depending on the company’s financial position.

Rufai also said Adedamola suffered the same salary difficulties as the workers.
“When we received half salary, he too received the same. When we received none, he received none,” he said.

He added that, based on his experience, workers never went three consecutive months without receiving some form of payment.
‘Workers knew about arrears payment arrangement’

Rufai said former workers who are currently speaking publicly about the arrears were already aware of the payment arrangement and had signed the relevant documents.

He therefore questioned claims suggesting that the arrangement was imposed on them without their knowledge.

He said any concerns about the terms of the arrangement should have been raised when the agreement was being negotiated.

‘I received my payment directly’

Rufai said his status as one of the first beneficiaries enabled him to speak from personal experience about how the arrears payments were made.

He said the beneficiaries were contacted and paid directly through the foundation of former Senate President Bukola Saraki.

“The company management did not receive the money and distribute it to staff,” he said.
“I was contacted as a beneficiary, and I received my payment directly.”

He said the clarification was necessary to counter any impression that the salary-arrears payments were made through National Pilot management.

Questions alleged political motive
Rufai also questioned what he described as the politicisation of the controversy.

He wondered why some of the allegations were circulated through a platform he described as critical of Saraki instead of being presented directly to Saraki’s representatives if the objective was solely to resolve the salary issue.

He also referred to an alleged WhatsApp voice note in which derogatory comments were made about Saraki and his political prospects.
Rufai said the development raised questions about whether the campaign was entirely about unpaid salaries.

He further questioned why all affected former workers were allegedly not involved in the campaign.

According to him, the questions did not necessarily invalidate the grievances of those involved but were relevant to understanding the motive and credibility of the campaign.

Adedamola explored other ways to save company

Rufai said Adedamola made several efforts to address the newspaper’s financial difficulties.

He said the former MD proposed the construction of a shopping centre close to the company’s office, with the expectation that revenue generated from the project would help address the company’s financial challenges and salary arrears.

He said Adedamola approached First Bank for financing, but the request was declined.
Rufai said the former MD subsequently explored a book launch and awards ceremony as another means of raising funds.

The book, titled Roundtable on Economy and Restructuring in Nigeria, was based on submissions from a roundtable organised in collaboration with Prof. Hassan Saliu and attended by scholars from various institutions.

However, Rufai said the book launch and awards ceremony failed to generate the expected revenue.

‘Adedamola’s record should be judged comprehensively’

Rufai said he was not claiming that every decision taken under Adedamola was perfect, but insisted that the former MD’s record should be assessed against the financial realities facing the company at the time.

He said any comprehensive assessment should cover management decisions, revenue collection, staff responsibilities, company assets, production costs, welfare initiatives, salary payments and the circumstances that affected the newspaper’s operations.

“Nobody is saying that every decision taken during Adedamola’s tenure was perfect,” he said.

“But to suggest that he simply failed to manage the company, without acknowledging the financial realities, the investments made, the efforts to block revenue leakages, the welfare improvements and the measures taken to keep the publication alive, is to present only one side of the story.

Rufai said he had remained silent for a long time but decided to speak because he was directly involved in the newspaper’s operations.

He described Adedamola as a disciplinarian who demanded accountability from staff but rejected allegations that he was corrupt.
“Adedamola is a disciplinarian who takes no nonsense from the staff, but dub him a corrupt person? No,” he said.

“All well-meaning staff, both past and present, can attest to this about him. Let the records speak.”

Mr. Rufai was the former Production Manager at National Pilot