Popular media station Soundcity and its parent company, Group8, have come under fire for allegedly failing to pay their employees’ salaries for the past eight months. Nigerian on-air personality Dotun ‘Do2dtun’ Kayode brought attention to the issue in a series of tweets on X (formerly Twitter), expressing empathy for his colleagues.
Dotun wrote, “My friends and colleagues at Soundcity, how do you guys cope? No salary for 8 months? Mehn that’s crazy!!!!” He further criticized the situation, labeling it as “cruel and inhumane,” and questioned the necessity of running a radio station if the employees’ welfare cannot be ensured.
RadioGuide NG, an online radio community, also criticized Group8, which owns Soundcity, Urban96, and other media outlets, for the unpaid salaries. They issued a statement calling for open discussions about the wellbeing of the employees, questioning how long workers can sustain themselves without pay and urging Group8 to address the issue before it becomes more severe.
Additionally, drealeve, a radio presenter with Urban96, echoed these sentiments. He pointed out that numerous staff members have resigned out of frustration, and accused the company’s CEO of misallocating funds on trivial expenses.
In response to these grievances, legislative measures have been proposed to protect Nigerian employees from such situations. In 2023, the House of Representatives proposed the Employees Remuneration Protection Bill, which would make it illegal for employers to neglect paying their employees. The bill includes penalties such as a prison term of three to six months for defaulters.
Another legislative effort from 2022, titled A Bill for an Act to Prohibit Late Payment, Non-Payment and Underpayment of Workers’ Wages, Pension, and Other Emoluments, also aimed to penalize employers who owe wages or pensions for more than 60 days.