By Uche Amunike
Wife of the Lagos State governorship candidate of the Labour Party during the 2023 Polls, Dr Ify Aniebo, has tendered a public apology to one of her workers who called her out on social media recently for owing him accumulated salaries.
Recall that the young man, Chike Jones, an X user, worked as a social media manager and writer for a project owned by Dr Ify Aniebo and known as Afroscientric.com, but was owed by her for over eight months.
He also posted screenshots that showed the delays in salary payments by her, alleging that payment delays started in 2019, with instances of his salary being delayed for months.
He posted on X: ‘Sometimes I think in 2019, I started working for #IfyAniebo as several things including a writer and social media manager on this project -#afroscientric. Not long after, I realised that getting paid on time was a problem. The salary was delayed sometimes for months. If you look at the dates in the screenshots below, you’ll see me asking for payments well after the end of the month. I didn’t consider it a big issue.’
According to Chike, after making efforts to get her to pay off the debts she owed him, she accused him of bombarding her and stated that she would not pay. He further alleged that she threatened that she was a bridge he dared not burn, which implied that she considered herself above him, and even if he took further action, nothing would happen.
Dr Aniebo however made a post on X in reaction. She stated: ‘I am aware of the statements made by a former staff engaged in rendering services to Afroscientric. Rest assured, I take this matter seriously and I’m actively addressing it to ensure a timely resolution.
‘It’s important to note that the recent tweets do not accurately reflect my character and the reputation I’ve worked hard to cultivate over the years.’
Her husband, LP Guber candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, however reached out to Chike Jones and promised to settle the matter by offsetting the said amount owed by his wife. Eventually, he paid off the debt and Chike has confirmed the payment on X.
Dr Aniebo has also expressed her remorse on X by tendering an apology for her actions, admitting that she should have taken a different approach in handling the matter.
She posted: ‘I have taken time out to reflect and now it’s clear to me I should have handled events differently. It didn’t have to come this far and I sincerely apologise.’
‘This is a teachable moment for me and I strongly appreciate the constructive criticisms. I will handle things better going forward.’
‘That said, #GRVlagos oko mi! I know I don’t do this enough but I’m incredibly lucky to have you. Thank you for being kind, patient, and loving. My knight in shining armour.’
‘Forget all this ‘shalaye’ on the timeline, you’re eating well this week – and I’d also be on the menu.’
