On Monday evening, the remaining few and demoralised Red Pepper staff were running up and about preparing for the publication of their tabloids, Red Pepper and Kamunye.
As it’s now the tradition, hungry reporters had filed a few stories which their bosses would spice up with lies and sexual innuendo.
So the editorial management sat in the boardroom and decided on the headlines for Tuesday’s papers.
Sadly, there were no print reams for printing the newspapers.
The suppliers have closed the taps due to non-payment of arrears estimated at over Shs 200m.
Luckily, after a day of hustling, they managed to get a few print reams from a new supplier on credit.
That was around 10:00pm.
Now the factory workers (each gets a maximum of Shs 300,000) who have spent over 5 months without pay started preparing for the production phase.
When the printing boss, M, started the machine, it made a funny noise. Workers fled the printing house fearing an explosion.
It has of late been printing poor quality newspapers forcing advertisers to cut their contracts.
They tried to beg their external printers along Nkrumah Road but these fellows said they wanted arrears cleared.
“You either pay the debts or let us rest,” said a printery owner who had already slept when they appealed to him for rescue.
The top bosses failed to agree on raising the arrears to have the newspapers printed. That’s why you can’t find any product of the Pepper Publications on the market today.
This unfortunate turn of events at the ‘mighty’ Red Pepper has shocked advertisers who are can no longer be certain of the newspaper’s future.
Red Pepper facing more hard times
