'I didn't really mean he's fired': Oga Obinna clarifies viral on-set dismissal

Media personality Oga Obinna has addressed a viral video clip where he appeared to fire his production manager during a live recording of his show.

Speaking on Episode 308 of the Mic Cheque Podcast, Obinna clarified that the statement was a heat-of-the-moment reaction born from frustration, and the manager was not really dismissed from his job.

The incident occurred while Obinna was hosting Gaucho as a guest.

The host explained that his frustration began when an unknown man walked onto the set while cameras were rolling.

"Behind Gaucho on this couch, because the camera was on me, I see some dude just walks in and starts plugging his phone on the extension that is behind this seat," Obinna stated.

He explained that the extension was sensitive, as it controlled the show's set lighting.

The sudden movement and intrusion by the stranger, whom he had never seen before, broke his concentration.

"So I'm talking in this camera, but I'm seeing movement over here... I'm like, Who is this? Bent over the extension, doing something."

Obinna's agitation grew when he realised key members of his team were not at their posts to handle the breach.

"I'm like 'Yo Munez', Munez is not at his station. His station is at the door... to regulate, tell people Eh, we're shooting," Obinna said. "Then the next thing I think 'Where is my production manager?' Because this is the work of the production manager, to check the set... the production manager is not around."

Obinna noted that the production manager remained a no-show throughout the episode, finding out later what he had been up to.

"I still didn't see the guy (production manager) through the episode. He was around, but he was busy handling his own things that are not associated with the company."

Feeling that the responsibility of managing the set was falling on him as the host, Obinna got distracted and reacted emotionally, which was captured by the cameras.

This led to the viral comment: "I was like 'Ok, I think my production manager is just fired because clearly we don't need you, so we either get someone better or since we're already flying without you...'"

"I didn't really mean he's fired"

However, Obinna clarified that the statement was not an actual termination.

"But I did not have that conversation with him after, not even during, that thing just passed. I just said it as a by-the-way. I didn't really mean he's fired," he explained.

"I felt disappointed, I felt confused," Obinna explained his state of mind in the moment. "And when such things happen especially in the public eye, we have moments of misjudgment, and we are emotional beings, I'm a human being so I will react."

The intruding stranger would then turn out to be a guest of his guest, and the two would put their brief clash aside.

"Then later, I realised, he had come with Gaucho. He knew Gaucho was coming for the interview, so he came with him. So after the show is when he introduced himself."