The journalist who published the alleged phone conversation between the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the General Overseer of the Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo, has been suspended.
Peoples Gazette suspended Ayoola Babalola on Tuesday for online behavior that violated the newspaper’s social media policy and called its integrity into question.
Boladale Adekoya, the platform’s Deputy Managing Editor, announced the change in a memo.
Babalola agreed to attend counseling during his suspension in order to improve his behavior.
Adekoya in the memo stated;
Ayoola Babalola met with the HR, where he was directed to proceed on suspension for one month without pay.
Mr Babalola is a vibrant and respected member of the organisation’s editorial team, the publication’s senior staff noted.
He, however, stated that the reporter’s “conduct on social media, both from months past and as recently as last weekend, grossly violated the organisation’s guideline on personnel conduct.”
After carefully reviewing the reporter’s scathing retorts to relentless online trolls, management determined that Babalola failed to act with the decorum and professionalism expected of The Gazette’s employees.
Adekoya, however, noted the suspension was a challenging decision “for the organisation: Mr Babalola faced vicious attacks on social media following our scoop on Peter Obi’s phone call with Bishop Oyedepo.
“Still, while the organisation sympathises and stands strongly with Mr Babalola and all staff members who come frequently under social media onslaught, the manner with which colleagues handle online trolls is what distinguishes us as professionals.”
Although the controversial tweets had been taken down by Babalola, screenshots of the tweets could still “impugn our professionalism PG well into the future. This should never have happened.
“The management appreciates Mr Babalola’s service and cooperation in the course of handling this situation. This informed the decision to let him proceed on one-month suspension with counselling.”
The senior editor expressed optimism in welcoming back Babalola into the organization after his suspension and counseling sessions were over.
Adekoya in the final paragraph of the memo stated;
We are happy to welcome Mr Babalola back to continue his fearless journalism in this organisation.
Babalola said he would abide by the management’s decision on the matter after noticing how newsroom colleagues expressed concerns about his posts that they say could vitiate their own work.