By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Folio Communications Ltd, Fidelis Anosike, stakeholders in the embattled Daily Times of Nigeria (DTN), has resigned from the board of the company. In a statement issued in Lagos, Anosike stated that he made his resignation known on Sunday (June 7, 2020) when he unveiled the new board members of the company.
He listed the new board members as: Sam Worlu, former Voice of Nigeria (VON) Director-General as the Chairman and Noel Anosike as the Executive Vice-Chairman. Others are, Malam Mohammed Ciroma as Non-Executive Director; Dr Victor Alaofin as Non-Executive Director; Mrs Chioma Okigbo as Non-Executive Director; and Mrs Chiamaka Igwe as Non-Executive Director.
Also on the board is Mr Aliu Akoshile, who assumed leadership of the executive management of Folio Communications as Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, since May 2019.
Anosike explained that Folio Communications Ltd. is a conglomerate he established at a young age of 24 after graduating from the University of Benin, where he studied Creative Arts. He revealed that other companies under the conglomerate are: Folio Nigeria powered by CNN, the Daily Times Nigeria, Miss Nigeria, 1st October, Times Multimedia and Creative Africa Xchange (CAX).
According to Fidelis Anosike, “I am proud to announce my stepping down as the Chairman and CEO of Folio Communications Ltd, a company I founded straight out of University of Benin at 24. I am very proud of what we were able to achieve which should be an inspiration for our young people.’
“The new board, I believe, will achieve our vision of Folio Communications becoming the most valuable and impactful media company in Nigeria”.
Daily Times under Anosike, has gone through turbulent times with cases in courts from interest groups and individuals. The Paper which had held the ace as Nigeria’s premier newspaper conglomerate, following its establishment in 1926, had been witnessing dwindling profile since the federal government take-over in 1975. It is yet to get to its feet ever since. The last effort to reposition the organisation was through the privatization efforts of the Olusegun Obasanjo administration which handed the bid to Folio Communications. Not much has however been done in revamping the company by the group. Its woes rather seem to be more, even.
