On June 24, 2020, Okayplayer and sister site OkayAfrica announced the resignation of CEO and Publisher Abiola Oke amid allegations that have recently surfaced.
Further action will be announced. pic.twitter.com/LVdSa0duZ5
— OkayAfrica (@OkayAfrica) June 24, 2020
This public announcement came after an open letter signed by seven Black women detailing their complaints against the former CEO and calling for his removal:
just so we’re clear. pic.twitter.com/7nFPGRqOFo
— Antoinette Isama (@AntoinetteIsama) June 24, 2020
The letter cites mistreatment of Black women working across both organizations and lists the following complaints: “lack of support and resources, below market salaries, inadequate leadership, targeting and sabotage, slander, verbal abuse, inappropriate behavior, gaslighting, lack of empathy, manipulation, rationalizing poor or unethical conduct and wrongful termination.”
Several of the women who signed the letter also shared threads on their personal Twitter handles detailing individual experiences working for the company. These stories can be found on the following pages: @AntoinetteIsama, @ivieani, @seenahgee, @kokothenut, and @winniekassa.
Artist and photojournalist Yagazie Emezi joined in the threads by sharing the following allegation made by an employee of the former CEO who wished to remain anonymous:
A woman has come forward anonymously to share her story about current CEO @Abiolaoke of @OkayAfrica. Please amplify, and if anyone would like to share theirs, I’m here for you. Thank you for speaking up. Protect Black women. pic.twitter.com/smm8N30ea3
— Yagazie Emezi (@YagazieEmezi) June 24, 2020
Okayplayer founder, Questlove, shared the company’s original statement regarding Abiola Oke’s resignation on Instagram, adding “More announcements coming up. This was long overdue.”
Okayplayer was founded online in 1999, followed by the launch of sister site OkayAfrica in 2011. OkayAfrica continues to be a popular online space for African audiences, particularly in the diaspora, to access the latest news on African music and culture.
Further action is yet to be announced regarding future leadership of both organizations.
COMMENTS -
Reader Interactions