Recent reports in a section of the media
alleging “mass exit” of staff from Airtel Nigeria over the recent movement from
Airtel to Guinness of on-the-move Senior Manager, Brand and Communications
Eyitemi Taire would seem to be mere wild speculations and sponsored campaigns
of calumny.
Facts have however emerged to show that
Taire’s resignation was to enable her take up her new role as Director, Trade
Marketing at Guinness Nigeria Plc, a far bigger position than the one she was
holding at Airtel. It also appears the
offer to move to Guinness had been made to Ms Taire who kept it on hold until
she had completed a cycle at Airtel.
Indeed, Taire’s appointment at Guinness
came barely four months after her resumption as Head, Brand and Communications
at Airtel and had been on hold ever since to ensure that she was fully
confirmed on her Airtel job before taking up the appointment.
Before joining Airtel in late November
2012, Eyitemi Taire had worked with Nigerian Breweries and the British American
Tobacco Company. Taire’s resignation had sparked up unfounded rumours of
instability in Nigeria’s oldest GSM operator leading to speculations about the
real reason behind her exit, especially as it came on the heels of the
departure of Olu Akanmu, the former Chief Marketing Officer of the company.
“We are aware of the false alarm
spreading in the media that Nigerians are deserting Airtel,” said James Eze,
Head of Public Relations. “We know where that campaign of falsehood is coming
from but we know that Nigerians are smarter than that. Nigerians know that the
exit of two people from a company cannot be described as a “mass exit” unless
there is a clear attempt at mischief.”
According to the source, following the
recent squabble over the handling of the company’s advertising account, some
fifth-columnists had formed the habit of waiting in the wings to amplify and
twist any story on Airtel to suit their mischievous designs.
Said he, “It is unfortunate that people
are insinuating unbelievable stories as the reasons behind Eyitemi’s exit. But
if you are a Senior Manager in one company and another company offers you the
position of a Director, would you say no? Eyitemi’s story is a clear one. The
facts are there for anyone who cares to know the truth.”
He however assured that attempts to use
the resignation of two staff as an opportunity to drag Airtel’s reputation in
the mud would not succeed as the company was well known and respected as one of
Nigeria’s leading employers of choice.
He pointed out that the Chartered
Institute of Personnel Management, Nigeria had on October 2012 given the Best
Human Resources Practices award to Airtel in appreciation of the company’s
strict adherence to the highest standards in managing its growing
workforce.
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