OSBC ‘Freelance’ Staff Yet To Get Appointment Letters Months After Adeleke’s Directive

Casual workers known as freelance staff at the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC) are yet to get employment letters three months after Governor Ademola Adeleke directed their full engagement.

OSUN DEFENDER reports that the staff some of whom have been appointed over a decade ago have not been given official employment.

Adeleke had on May 22, 2024 during the commissioning of six new transmitters and studios for the state broadcasting outfit, announced the confirmation of 66 OSBC freelance staff into full-time staff, after reversing their appointments earlier made by former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola before leaving office in 2022. 

It was also gathered that the management of the corporation had withdrawn the freelance letters given to some of its casual staff two months ago after Adeleke ordered their absorption into the state civil service.

Sources within the freelance staff said the affected officers were those who were recruited between 2023 and early 2024. According to them, their appointments as freelance staff was reversed to volunteers after Adeleke made the announcement.

READ: We Have Spent Over N1bn To Revitalise OSBC – Osun Govt

The sources said, “We have been waiting for our letters. The Governor came here in May and said he has approved our full engagement. According to the Special Adviser, we are 66 and the Governor gave approval for the management to absorb all of us to the civil service.

“Some of us have spent close to 15 years here as freelancers. We have been working as normal staff. We even work more than some permanent staff. That’s the condition we are in. Oyetola gave us permanent appointments but Adeleke reversed it.

“The Governor directed the management during the commissioning that all of us who are 66 should be employed with immediate effect. From May till now, we have not heard anything. We even learnt that some politicians have influenced the list to over a 100 hundred names.

“We want Governor Adeleke to help us. We only receive N20,000 which is even below the minimum wage. The management has told us to resort to fasting and praying. We don’t know when we will be considered.”

Reacting to the development in a communique issued at the end of its monthly congress on Wednesday, Osun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) appealed to the governor to expedite action on releasing the employment letters.

Osun NUJ noted that the non-issuance of employment letters to the 66 freelance staff is dragging for too long, saying the long wait is unacceptable.

The statement read, “The monthly Congress of the Osun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists also appealed to Governor Ademola Adeleke to, without delay, direct appropriate government machinery to release letter of employment to 66 freelance staff of the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC), Ile Awiye, Oke-Baale, Osogbo who have been ordered by the Governor to be fully engaged as full staff since May 22nd this year.

“The Nigeria Union of Journalists concluded that non-issuance of employment letters to the 66 freelance staff is dragging too long, having secured the mandate of the Governor to be duly engaged permanently.

“It described their suffering and long wait as unacceptable to the union and called on Mr Governor to urgently look into the issue.”