Uzor Arukwe, the Nollywood actor, recently shared his experience of being dismissed by Etisalat Nigeria in 2012, which later rebranded to 9Mobile in 2017. In a recent interview on the WithChude podcast, Arukwe revealed he was hopeful for a promotion from specialist to manager at the telecommunications company but was instead let go due to an incident in his department where he took responsibility as the team lead.
He described losing his job as one of the most challenging experiences, noting he kept his struggles hidden from his family at the time. Arukwe also discussed his initial difficulties in Nollywood, where he faced unemployment from November 2012 to November 2013, receiving minimal payments such as N1,000, N2,000, and even a “thank you for coming” gesture for roles during that period.
“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.”
