Uzor Arukwe: I was jobless for a year after Etisalat fired me in 2012

Uzor Arukwe, the Nollywood actor, has recalled how Etisalat Nigeria dismissed him in 2012.

Etisalat was one of Nigeria’s four largest telecommunications. It, however, announced a change of its brand name to 9Mobile in 2017.

In a recent interview on the WithChude podcast, the actor said he was sacked while hoping for a promotion from specialist to manager after years with the telco firm.

Arukwe narrated how he “took the fall” for an incident in his department since he was the team lead — although he did not provide details on what happened.

He described the job loss as “one of the hardest things ever,” adding that he did not share his struggles with his family then.

Arukwe said his foray into Nollywood also failed and that he was jobless from November 2012 to November 2013 with nobody calling him for film roles.

He said when he eventually started getting roles, he was paid N1,000, N2,000, and N10,000 and even received “thank you for coming” as payment at one point.

“I worked in telcos. I worked in retail and sports. To be honest, I was fired from Etisalat actually. I do not think my mum even knows. I was fired sometime in 2012. Something happened in my department. I was heading the team at the time. Then something happened I had to take the fall as the leader,” he said.

“…Five years after, when I came to a place where I was hoping to become a manager, I had become a specialist, and then this happened. It was one of the hardest things ever. They stripped me of everything that makes you think you have a job. I tried to get into film sometime in 2012 but it was really slow.

“The only gig I got between 2012 and 2013 when I got my second job was some stage drama. Seyi Babatope got me the gig. That was the only gig I got between November 2012 when I was fired till December 2013. I was at home for one year and had no job. Nobody was calling me for films. It was terrible.

“I was like I think I should go back. I dusted my certificate again. And somehow I got a job again. There then for another five years. And then in 2018, I was like I think I am done. I think I have tried. I left my company in April 2018 and got my first gig with Iroko on August 28, 2018. At this time, I was broke, busted down, and had no money. It was so bad that I was saying prayers at noon.”