Four principal officers of popular Nigerian tabloid, The Sun, are on their way out after being suddenly retired.

They are Editorial Board Chairman, Dr. Amanze Obi; Executive Director, Technical, Alan Jones; Executive Director, Marketing, Paul Onyia; and Principal Human Resource Manager, Patrick Enilama.

A former Commissioner in Imo State in Nigeria’s South-East, Dr. Amance Obi writes a popular back page column in Daily Sun on Thursdays known as “Broken Tongues”.

News Express learnt that the sudden retirement of the four Sun chiefs was at the instance of the Publisher, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, a businessman and immediate past governor of Abia State, South-East Nigeria. It was not clear what led to the order for their retirement.

Kalu had in 2010 similarly retired the pioneer Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Mike Awoyinfa, and his deputy, Pastor Dimgba Igwe, after they had toiled for seven years (from January 2003) to build the Sun brand.

Contacted last night by News Express, Tony Onyima, incumbent Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Sun Publishing Limited, said: “You are a journalist; why don’t you wait till it happens?”

Asked what the affected officers did to warrant their sudden retirement, Onyima replied: “You have already made up your mind; don’t call me again!” He then cut off the line.

•Photo: SUN MD/EIC Tony Onyima.