According to sources within the radio station, the beefy popular on-air personality sauntered into the station that Friday, May 9, 2014 morning, as usual late for his Morning Belt programme, when he was stopped by the security at the reception.
He was told point blank that he could not go inside on the order of the management. He was given the option of resigning his appointment or his appointment would be terminated by the management.
He was said to have immediately put a call to Mr. Erastus Akingbola, the chairman and owner of the station, who to his shock confirmed what he had been told by the management.
It was at this moment he realized the truth of what has just happened to his career as an on-air personality (OAP). The only person he respects and took orders from since he came to the station in 2009 was Mr. Erastus Akingbola.
It is an understatement to say that he was over-pampered by Mr. Akingbola. It was Mr. Akingbola who did everything to bring him back from America when he was allegedly repatriated under a controversial circumstance when he left Cool FM.
Immediately he came back, he was given a duplex at Cinary, a house very close to the station on Victoria Island, Lagos. Although there were other staffers of the station living within the same complex, the most prominent tenant in the complex was Dan Foster and his family.
An engineer and one other maintenance staff of the station were said to have been sacked by the management because his wife, Lovina Foster reported them to Mr. Erastus Akingbola, for what she called negligence. This is to show how much Mr. Akingbola was pampering their needs. Aside this, the Armada jeep he cruises around was given to him by Mr. Akingbola.
It is common knowledge amongst the staff of the station that he was the highest paid staffer of the station till Friday, May 9, 2014, when he was asked to resign.
An unconfirmed source told ENCOMIUM Weekly that he was on a salary of N1.7 million per month.
The house where he and his family currently live in Lekki, a N4 million per annum apartment was through a loan granted him by the management on the order of Mr. Akingbola.
Another on-air personality, Charles B, who presented the popular programme, Sharing Life Issues, on the station then, who felt that if Dan Foster could be given such an amount as loan to rent an apartment, he too should be given was sacked for comparing himself with Dan Foster. Charles B is presently with Rhythm FM, presenting the same programme, Sharing Life Issues.
It is only Dan Foster and his wife, that can go to Ruston Street, Ikoyi, Lagos residence of the Akingbolas and the gate would be flung open for them without hindrance. All these was said to have got into Dan Foster’s head that he was alleged to have become uncontrollable for the management of the company including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Soni Irabor.
Not only this, he was said to come late in every morning for someone who anchors the Morning Belt from 8 a.m to 10 a.m.
On several occasions, when he is on air he talked too much to the extent that the advert slot would be missed. According to our source, there is hardly any month he was not surcharged for missing advert slot. But because he earns so much, he hardly complained about the surcharges.
As a member of board of directors of the company and the Head of Programmes, his overbearing attitude and lack of respect to constituted authority is said not to be a good example.
It was, therefore, decided he should be shown the way out before he caused further disaffections among the workers.
When we called Mr. Dan Foster on Saturday, May 31, 2014 morning, he told us he was doing his exercise and that he would call us back. He never did. He, however, responded to our text message. His response read thus: “Dan Foster resigned because of other projects he wants to commence, like his broadcast academy (Dan Foster Academy), his radio station and events. He is in good relationship with the chairman and the station.”
His Morning Belt programme is now being handled by Bella Rose, his co-presenter, while his Sunday programme, Praise Worship is now anchored by Rufai Oseni.
Mr. Daniel Foster came to Nigeria from America in 2000 when he joined Cool FM. He was in Cool FM till 2009, when he pitched tent with Inspiration FM. He is married to a Nigerian, Lovina Foster, nee Okpara, who we gathered is a banker. They have two children, Daniella and Tochukwu. He also has a son, Joshua from his previous marriage.
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