The Nigerian Compass, published by Western Publishing Nigeria Limited, according to government is not sitting on a properly acquired land. While the allocation was done in 2008, papers and payment for the land, which in the first instance was 50 hectares, was perfected in 2011.
The Amosun-Akinyemi Land Probe Panel alleged that there had been an earlier letter of allocation simply ‘dated April 2004’, issued to the allottees for the same land, measuring the same size, for a consideration of N3,367,805.00, for which there were cheques dated 8th April 2004 issued and purportedly paid, but for which they could not produce official receipt, and of which there is no trace whatsoever in the records of the Bureau of Lands.
It was also alleged that the former governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel signed the Certificate of Occupancy on the 21st of April, 2005 and the same is registered at the lands registry Abeokuta as No: 15/15/628.
It, therefore, recommended that the Certificate of Occupancy registered as No 15/15/628 of 21/4/05 (and the recertified one number 0000003 dated June 2010) issued by ex-governor Daniel to himself and his wife, while other prior registered interests/rights in the land subsisted and for a size of land larger than what they were allocated and paid is void in law, having no legal effect whatsoever. “Two or more registered titles cannot exist on the same land at the same time. By law, the first in time must prevail. Accordingly, the Commission recommends that Certificate of Occupancy No 15/15/628 of 21/4/05 and the recertified Certificate of Occupancy thereto be cancelled.”
This decision has been criticized by the loyalists of the former governor, as one the litany of probes and inquisitions designed and constituted by the Ogun State Government, with the objective to run down the person of Otunba Daniel and the government he headed between 2003 and 2011.
Daniel, in a paid advertorial in some national dailies, has also responded to the revocation of the Certificate of Occupancy. He said, “We have asked our lawyers to study the jaundiced Report and take appropriate legal actions, if necessary, up to the Supreme Court to ensure that illegalities and frivolities do not rule our land. To all our people being daily abused and bruised, be rest assured that the wheel of justice may be slow but it is sure. The tragic-comedy and debasement going on currently in government circles in Abeokuta would have been amusing if not for its tragic consequences. For my sadness is not about my own persecution and travail (I have since counted the cost and resolved to carry my cross), but the gory sight of seeing works done, achievements made and legacies bequeathed being mindlessly destroyed because of an insane resolve to bring down one man”
The revocation of the Certificate of Occupancy of the newspaper outfit, may not be the major challenge the newspaper is facing at present. Before now, one of its former employee told Sunday Trust that the newspaper has been battling with internal crisis orchestrated by huge drop in sales of the newspaper and its inability to get adverts to keep afloat as a daily publication. Beside this, there were allegations of mismanagement against some key officers in the account department of the company. At the heat of the allegation, it was gathered that a principal officer in the account department was arrested but was later released on the orders of the proprietor who was governor then. All these, according to the former employee, has made it difficult for the newspaper to pay salaries to its staff in the past 10 months. He added that the newspaper is equally finding it difficult to keep afloat in its daily operation because of the difficulties it has been facing in circulation and advert placement in the past two years.
The Nigerian Compass newspaper, no doubt , in the last three years of its establishment has had its share of the robust journalism which the likes of Punch, ThisDay, The Guardian, Daily Trust, The Nation and The Sun are known for within the short period it hit the news stand.
However, the newspaper’s fortune began to nose-dive barely two years of its establishment and before its proprietor, the former Ogun State governor, Otunba Daniel, left office its problem had begun to manifest in virtually every areas of its operation. To curb this, the management of the newspaper, last year, embarked on downsizing of the staff strength of the company. No fewer than 36 staff of the company, from the editorial and other departments, were sacked when it was obvious that it could no longer afford to pay their salaries in the face of the difficulties the newspaper was facing.
It was alleged that key trusted associates of the governor betrayed him as they allegedly mismanaged it and embezzled the proceeds from adverts and sales, within the three years of its existence.
A former staff of the newspaper who does not want his name in the print told us that ‘’The newspaper, no doubt, was doing well when it first came out. Some of us left The Nation, The Sun, The Punch and The Guardian to join Nigerian Compass when it hit the news stand, because we thought it has a future, from the way it took off and because of the personality of its founder. But today, all appeared to be an illusion. You can see that when it came out people immediately accepted it, particularly in the western part of the country. It came with that zeal and editorial commitment. Cars were distributed to its staff, both in the editorial and personnel departments, it offered attractive salaries that were rarely paid in the newspaper industry to journalists with conducive working environment but all these only short lived because barely a year after, the newspaper could no longer pay its staff regularly and their salaries were later cut to keep the newspaper going,” he said.
Another former staff of the newspaper, who spoke to Sunday Trust said the proprietor of the newspaper has good plans, which would have probably taken the newspaper to an enviable position in the nation’s newspaper industry, but that the plans were bungled by people who were not well groomed for the positions they occupied, but were put there on account of their closeness or association with the governor or with some personalities who were his friends.
He said “It was painful that the newspaper could not live up to the expectations of many of us who see it as another major newspaper in the making in the country, particularly in the way it was planned to compete efficiently with the big newspapers”, he said. But all these were not actualized because of the various problems which, within a short time, emerged and has held it to a stand.
A media consultant, Mr Henry Olaitan, told our reporter that the problem with the newspaper is not as serious as people see. He said the newspaper, in the face of what is seen as problems, is still doing well even better than some newspapers that are being seen as doing well in the news industry. Olaitan stated that “I really don’t think The Nigerian Compass has problems. Whatever, I believe the newspaper is still doing well, far ahead of some newspapers you think are doing better in the newspaper industry. Yes, it may have some challenges now but that is common with newspapers in the country. And don’t forget that the establishment of Nigerian Compass was, to a large extent, political. I want to see the newspaper take its rightful place in the newspaper industry. It only needs to be repositioned for proper news business, rather than using it to serve the interest of anybody.”
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