Lawrence Odoom, Gabriel Nana Asirifi marlaceous publication against Awake News

For Immediate Release:

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From: Executive Editor, AM Network

To: All Media Houses

Date: July 11, 2025

Subject: Lawrence Odoom and Gabriel Nana Asirifi’s publications about Awake News is false and defamatory. 

It has come to the attention of AM Network – publishers of Awake News and Awake TV the marlaceous content generated and circulated by Lawrence Odoom and Gabriel Nana Asirifi, a former Reporter for Awake News.

We wish to response as follows:

A. Lawrence Odoom

1. Lawrence Odoom was a freelance contract reporter for Awake News until he was given permanent appointment on March 29, 2025 and he started working on that role from April 1, 2025
2. Whiles working as contract freelance, he received every payment for work done including bonus for his stories that made headlines as part of our internal motivation for Reporters.
3. Lawrence was then put on a salary of GHc1,800 and GHc200 allowance for data
4. He was tasked to “Plan and write ten (10) stories per day where the stories are subjected to the Editor’s
   approval and publication” for 6days per week and was thus under the direct supervision of the Associate News Editor.
5. Mr. Odoom was part of six (6) Awake News Team trained at our office between April 26-27, 2025. Just like other participants at the training he was paid his transportation, stipend, fed and accommodated in a Guest House for the 4days.
6. However, at the end of April 31, 2025, due to financial constrains at the part of the AMN, no worker was paid and notice of the delay in payment was sent to every member of the team.
7. It was noticed that on May 8, 2025 all the Reporters – including Lawrence together with the Associate News Editor stopped work till date.
8. On May 14, 2025, during a following discussion on the Awake News Platform, the Associate News Editor responded to the Executive Editor that they all stopped work because of not receiving payment at the end of April 2025. In effect, Lawrence Odoom is owed 1month 7days salary.
9. This followed with series of threats from Lawrence Odoom and Gabriel Nana Asirifi to “expose” the company and tannish its brand through publications in the media whiles sending offensive messages to the CEO/Executive Editor.
10. Lawrence attacked the Executive Editor on any WhatsApp platform he comes across the posts of the Executive Editor.
11. It is worth noting that Lawrence Odoom put up similar behaviors whiles his pay delayed for 1 month whiles he was a contract staff. However, after he was settled, the had been apologizing and begging to continue to work for Awake News for almost 8months until he was given the opportunity again.

Misbehavior of Lawrence Odoom:

1. During the period he was writing for Awake News as a permanent Reporter, Mr. Odoom constantly undermines our editorial rules and policy by writing and posting in all social media platforms he has access, raw contents he has filed for publication.
2. He does this even before such stories he filed are edited and approved by the Editor for publication of AwakeNews.com.gh
3. He was queried on the unhealthy practices but he continued with the justification that he belongs to the communication team of a one political party and what he does at part of his role with the political party.

B. Gabriel Nana Asirifi

1. Gabriel Nana Asirifi joined Awake News on February 23, 2025 as a freelance on a GHc1,000 allowance
2. He gain permanent employment with us on March 1, 2025 with his pay benefit doubled to GHc2,000
3. He was also tasked to “Plan and write ten (10) stories per day where the stories are subjected to the Editor’s
   approval and publication” for 6days per week and was thus under the direct supervision of the Associate News Editor.
4. He was paid all his allowances and salary plus bonus for his stories that made a headlines between February 23 and March 31, 2025 and also participated in the staff training with its benefits like the other Awake News Team
5. On April 31, 2025 he was paid GHc1,000 and he was left with GHc1,000 due to our financial situation
6. He also stopped filling stories on May 7, 2025 and Awake News owes him GHc1,220

Claims of Awake News generating huge income from their stories

1. The record must be set that during the period Lawrence, Gabriel and their one other colleagues were active writing for Awake News, the average traffic per day was 950 views which is beardly enounce for any online media to generate even US$0.5 per day from Ads.

Conclusion

It is very misleading, defamatory and damaging the write-up (the contents which cannot be repeated here), Gabriel Asirifi confirmed that was “collectively” written by them.

Whiles copy of their publication has been forwarded to our lawyers for appropriate action, we wish to call on the public to disregard the content of the publications and we are available to produce evidence to back our case.

Signed:

Efo Korsi Senyo

Executive Editor, AM Network

editor@awakenews.com.gh