The late Publisher of the Nigerian Tribune, Chief Oluwole Awolowo, approved the payment of the National Minimum Wage for staff of the media house on his sick bed.
The Managing Director of Nigerian Tribune, Mr Edward Dickson, disclosed this on Thursday, April 4, 2013 in Ibadan, Oyo State when a three-man delegation of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) visited the media house on a condolence visit.
The team, which led by NGE president, Mr Femi Adesina, had as members Mr Isaac Ighure, the Secretary of the guild, and Mrs Funke Egbemode, the Social/Publicity Secretary.
Dickson said: “ The late Tribune publisher was so much committed to staff welfare that he approved the minimum wage for the company’s workers on the sick bed when the Federal Government announced it.
“ In fact, after approving the payment of the national minimum wage to staff, monthly wage bill increased to between N45 million and N50 million.’’
He said the late scion of the Awolowo family was committed to staff welfare in the 27 years that he was in charge of the Tribune titles.
Dickson, who commended the guild for paying the condolence visit, said the media house was embarking on a restructuring exercise in line with the vision of the late publisher.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the late publisher died on March 27 at a London hospital.
Earlier, Adesina had commiserated with the media house, saying “ the Guild of Editors is a progressive body concerned with the welfare of its members and that is why we are here to express our condolences.’’
Adesina, who expressed regrets at the demise of Awolowo, said Tribune had remained a reputable paper.
