Manager sacked in Kirkuk over printing photo of ousted Kurdish governor on calendar

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi authorities fired a director at the Iraqi North Gas Company in Kirkuk for printing a photo of the ousted governor on the 2018 calendars of the company.

According to an official document by the North Gas Company in Kirkuk issued on Tuesday and addressed to the Minister of Oil, one of the company’s directors was sacked for using a photo of the ousted Kirkuk governor Najmaldin Karim on a new year calendar.

“Based on your [Minister of Oil] directions we have decided to sack Ahmed Shahab, Director of Public Relations at the company, due to violating the company’s instructions,” the letter read.

The statement added that the company official would be investigated.

“The company would like to apologize for this oversight,” the letter said, stating that the company has withdrawn all the calendars.

Following the Kurdistan Region’s historic referendum, Iraqi troops and Iranian-backed militias seized control of Kirkuk on October 16. Peshmerga forces had protected the province since 2014 when the Islamic State (IS) attacked.

Since then dozens of Kurdish officials have been removed from their posts, including the former Kirkuk Governor Najmaldin Karim.

Editing by Sam A.