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Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode
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Scores of staff members of the China Civil Engineering and Construction
Corporation (CCECC) Wednesday stormed Lagos State Governor’s Office,
protesting the arbitrary sack of about 500 workers by the corporation
and non-payment of their compensation.
The workers flooded the state house, displaying placards in protest of
what they described as unfair treatment they suffered in the hand of the
CCECC management, thereby calling the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi
Ambode, to intervene.
In a letter addressed to the governor, the workers said many of them
had worked for CCECC for five years and were laid off without any form
of payment, which they said, was a violation of their rights.
The letter, which was signed one of the victims, Mr. Mark Okila, said
the protesters would want CCECC “to pay the casual workers sacked N600,
000 severance package each and the full time workers laid off N800,000
package each.”
“We were deprived of our rights while working for the company in such a
way that the company offered us jobs without appointment letters. Even
when they employ most of their workers for the space of five years, they
will not convert them to full staff.
“We are treated like slaves in the company and whenever we try to
defend our rights, they will start dismissing us from work. They will
say that if we are not ready to work in accordance with their rules we
should leave.”
The letter added that the casual workers with CCECC earned N550 per
day, while staff were paid N850 per day, saying the issues of safety had
been jeopardised by the company as lots of industrial accidents had
occurred during work hours.
But Okila, the leader of the protesters, said the corporation gave them
“appointment without any safety induction certification and safety
gadgets. This has led many workers to have permanent disabilities and
others even dead in the process of working for the company and nothing
serious has been done about it.
“We are seeking the intervention of the governor for justice to be done
in this matter of abuse of citizen’s right by CCECC. The sacked workers
will shut down the site of the rail project by tomorrow until their
entitlements are fully paid by CCECC.
The protesters stated that in the process of working for the company,
Okila was involved in an accident which led to his right arm being
amputated, while Mr. Aondowase Fidelis, lost his eye and Mr. Moses Ajar
lost his left thumb, while working for the company.
According to Fidelis who lost one of his eyes, he was working with a
firing machine on April 26, 2015, when the blade of the machine cut and a
piece of it entered one of his eyes.
He was rushed to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, only to
be told that he had lost one of his eyes and could not see with it ever
again.
He lamented that the company promised to compensate him, but that nothing had been done about it.
Addressing the protesters, the Chief of Staff to the Lagos Governor,
Olukunle Ojo, said the state government would call the protesters for a
meeting next week, assuring that their entitlement would surely be paid.
According to the chief of staff, I can assure you that I will deliver
your message to the governor,” adding that the government will not allow
them to be punished unjustly or treated unfairly.
However, Ojo urged them not to cause trouble, noting that their concern
“will be investigated. If this company must continue to get contract
from Lagos State, they must pay you all your entitlements.”
He also assured them that by mid-next week, the state government would
have concluded investigations into the allegations and ensure they are
duly compensated.
Culled from Thisday
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