Transcorp Hilton Staff Loses Job For Supporting Buhari

A staff of Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja,
Mohammed Khalid Yakubu, who has been in the
services of the hotel for ten years now, has lost
his job for openly showing his support for the
President-elect, Gen. Mohammed Buhari.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP in Abuja on
Wednesday, Yakubu alleged that his immediate
boss, the head of housekeeping department, Mr.
Paul Agiopu conspired with the general manager,
Mr Etienne Gailliez, a national of Holland, to
terminate his ten-year employment with
Transcorp Hilton Hotel on February 10, 2015.
The sacked staff said on that fateful day, Agiopu
and Gailliez told him that Transcorp Hilton
belonged to members of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) and not the All Progressives
Congress (APC), and as such, he should go and
meet Buhari and APC to give a job.
“On 10th of February, 2015, I was at Transcorp
Hilton where I had worked for ten years until
now. On that day, I went up to my office,
Housekeeping department, on the fourth floor.
When I knocked on the door, it was the general
manager, Mr Etienne Gailliez who opened the
door; behind him was my boss, Mr Paul Agiopu
who surprisingly called me by my name Khalid,
instead of the usual APC because of my support
for Buhari, which we usually joked about.
“I asked him why he called me by Khalid instead
of the usual APC. It was at that point that the
general manager, Mr Etienne Gailliez told me point
blank that Transcorp Hilton belonged to the PDP
and not the APC, and that I should go and meet
Buhari and APC to give me job. And within 10
minutes, while I was still taking the conversation
as a joke, the director of Human Resources,
Omorinsola Sofola was ready with my letter of
termination. This is an injustice,” Yakubu cried.
He further called on the National Human Rights
Commission, the APC and other relevant agencies
to come to his aid, as his source of livelihood has
been wrongfully taken away from him.
“The letter of termination which was signed by
Omorinsola Sofola reads, “We regret to inform
you that your services with the Transcorp Hilton
Hotel, Abuja are no longer required, effective
today, 10th February 2015.
“By copy of this letter, and upon successful
clearance from respective departments
concerned, the Director of Finance is to pay you
your one month basic salary in lieu of notice.
“We wish you all the best in your future
endeavours.”
Reacting to the allegation, the communication/
public relations officer of the hotel, Mr Shola
Adeyemo said the affected staff was relieved of
his job based on his unethical conduct, adding
that the issue had no political undertone.
“We are an international hospitality organisation
committed to standard practices. we are not
partisan and thus, expect our employees to
conduct themselves with decorum towards
customers. And if any staff member falls short of
these standards, there are, of course, penalties.
Staff members are free to associate and join
political parties of their choice, but they should
not allow that affect their job. And in the case of
Yakubu, he was not dismissed, his services are
just required anymore,” Mr Adeyemo added.