Entrepreneurs From Hell? Revelations About Nigerian ‘Business Couple’ Opens Huge Can Of Worms
Virtually every active member of the community known as The Nigerian Twitterati is familiar with what is implied when it is stated that a person is “being dragged on Twitter.”
Well, since the later hours of Sunday, October 20, two individuals who have now been revealed to be a married couple, have been getting quite the dose of dragging on Twitter.
And the weight of the allegations suggests that this is not just a case of someone getting called out for a mindless frivolity or a mere misdemeanor. It’s far more serious and the situation is evoking emotional outrage more than petty petulance.
Until a few moments ago, Glory Osei and Muyiwa Folurunsho have been known as business partners who run a string of thriving businesses and who come across as visionaries — they had built quite the reputation as hugely successful entrepreneurs who are living that good life and inspiring people.
On Thursday, October 17, Glory Osei; a young serial entrepreneur and investor who identifies as a hardcore feminist and who comes across as non-conformist especially with social conventions like courtship and marital relationships, tweeted about some openings in her company.
In the now-deleted tweet, she asked interested job seekers to send their CVs to a certain email address while the job offer lasts. Well, that didn’t go down well with some people who had, apparently, worked with the company in the past. One Ada, in particular, called out Osei and her partner, Folorunsho, for being “frauds” and “employers from hell.”
So you and Muyiwa can wake up one morning and fire everyone like you did last month? Then start the recruitment process all over again? Don’t you get tired? Clowns! ????? You should also let your fans know you’re a married woman dear. https://t.co/lFfffKjd2G
— Ada (@TherealAda_) October 17, 2019
I used to work for Glory and her husband, Muyiwa. Last month at exactly 4:45pm (on a Friday). Her husband Muyiwa fired everyone in Hyberfactory, fired all Landlagos staff and some other people as well. Just like that.
— Ada (@TherealAda_) October 17, 2019
Then, things went south really fast from there. As at the time of putting this piece together, Glory Osei is trending as No.1 on Nigerian Twitter. Muyiwa is following closely as disturbing stories from people who have worked with the duo in the past continue to emerge.
I started working with Divergent Enterprise in June 2019 (position withheld). I didn’t know much about the company and was just excited to work. I also didn’t know Glory and Muyiwa were married to each other. The most popular brand for Divergent is Landlagos.
— Ada (@TherealAda_) October 20, 2019
Apparently, the previously-mentioned Ada, who may have set off the ticking time bomb with her story, had previously worked for Marketing and Advertising firm, Divergent Enterprise.
Divergent Enterprise is the proprietor of Landlagos, a real estate firm, and PorkMoney, a food company. Ada pretty much called the entire operation a sham, branding the duo as terrible people who mistreat employees and swindle investors with Ponzi scheme-like ventures.
I started working with Divergent Enterprise in June 2019 (position withheld). I didn’t know much about the company and was just excited to work. I also didn’t know Glory and Muyiwa were married to each other. The most popular brand for Divergent is Landlagos.
— Ada (@TherealAda_) October 20, 2019
For Landlagos, he had different lands for sale (3m, 4.5m, 5m and 12m). I’ll talk about the 3m lands because that’s the real scam. So the title of the 3m land was “Excision in Process” which means the lands were for muyiwa but the government still had a big right to claim them.
— Ada (@TherealAda_) October 20, 2019
Muyiwa sold these lands to people regardless with the help of the sales staff. Sold a lot of plots! As I write this, there’s no land anymore. Government has reallocated those plots to someone else so muyiwa has eaten your money just Incase you bought land from him.
— Ada (@TherealAda_) October 20, 2019
The ex-employee also claimed that Osei had been married to Folorunsho the entire time while posing as single and mostly disgusted by the idea of men and marriage. Ada said Osei had been putting up a fake act the entire time, as she has been doing in business dealings too.
I started working with Divergent Enterprise in June 2019 (position withheld). I didn’t know much about the company and was just excited to work. I also didn’t know Glory and Muyiwa were married to each other. The most popular brand for Divergent is Landlagos.
— Ada (@TherealAda_) October 20, 2019
At first, it seemed Ada was no more than just another embittered past employee who had been laid off under somewhat tumultuous circumstances and was yet to get over it. But that was before a huge can of worms featuring the duo’s dealings were opened.
At the moment, stories are flying in from basically everywhere, past employees who have suffered mistreatment from the duo. There’s been talks of a toxic work environment, unpaid salaries, impulsive and unprovoked terminations without pay, verbal abuse, unfavorable working conditions, unexplained changes to working schedule, slashing of paychecks, and even dismissals based on a whim.
( Thread) A Letter from one of Glory Osei @glory_osei and Muyiwa Folorunsho victim
I happen to be a fresh graduate who was desperate to get a job and never wanted to stay at home. #NextLevelOfDoom #MondayMotivation
Muyiwa
Glory Osei pic.twitter.com/Kv5DJlwe6x— Port Harcourt most handsome™ (Lagos most Adored) (@laurelchinedu2) October 21, 2019
Lol, I promised myself I would fight my depression without having to drag someone into a mess. But I’m not dragging anyone this is me healing. I am a 20 year old content writer and developer!!! And I have always admired muyiwa and @glory_osei respectively
— Kenny Owen (@_kennyowen) October 21, 2019
In short, not even one person has come out to say something positive about working with the duo — it’s basically a story of an emperor and his empress ruling with an iron fist and crushing everyone who has refused to become a slave.
Indeed, the allegations also point to the numerous business ventures of the duo as different avenues for ripping people off. The previously-mentioned Ada went as far as stating that persons who have paid for lands under the duo’s real estate business, LandLagos, have been scammed.
Apart from LandLagos, other businesses belonging to either Osei or Folorunsho or both have either been labeled a sham or a false project by the strong allegations making the rounds.
These ventures include PorkMoney, Porkoyum, Hyberfactory, True Rebel Fashion Company, ShapeYou, CuteShop, ShapeOfNaija, Bee-Drops Fashionhands, Intelome, 234Logistics, slimtea.com.ng, and several others. All these companies are under Divergent Enterprises.
A few hours ago, Divergent Enterprise let out a hastily-put-together press release in which it denied the allegations and threatened legal action against defamation and libel. It also claimed that its business is proceeding as usual and that partners are secure.
In an earlier unofficial statement put out by Osei, the allegations were denied and dismissed as badmouthing from disgruntled past employees. In the statement, she also said that she wishes they “had handled the very necessary dismissals with a little more tact” while also admitting that they could’ve have been “gentler” with employees.
Osei also implied in the statement that she had kept her marriage under wraps all the while because she has always been “introverted”. Coming from a person who is known to be vocally against the idea of getting married and one who has no qualms airing “unpopular” views in public, that claim just doesn’t hold up.
So far, no word has come from Folurunsho who many have described as “narcissistic, abusive and insensitive.” Indeed, Folorunsho is quoted in the media as having once said that “Nigerians are dull and stupid and deserving of all the bad things that come to them.”
Wait, this is the Glory Osei’s husband, Muyiwa? Lewl pic.twitter.com/KIgqecS3Gd
— Ichie Bullion (@principe_viii) October 21, 2019
It would be interesting to see how this plays out as more worrying tales of employee mistreatment from Osei and Folorunsho continue to drop, while many clamour for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to look into their business dealings.
