Civil Society Petition Chinese Company Over Alledge Injustice, Inadequate Welfare For Workers

By Lazarus Zakaa, Abuja.

The PAN African Youth Development Network has petition the management of BN ceramics Nigeria Limited, Kogi over an alleged injustice and lot of irregularities perpetrated by the company on Nigeria youth whom they engaged as factory workers.

In the petition written to the Inspector General of Police, Nigeria Police Force, Force Headquarters, signed by the Aare Oladotun Hassan, Esq. Principal Partner, was titled’’ petition against BN ceramics Nigeria limited and others over act of criminal conspiracy, gross ineptitude, devaluation and violation of human rights, threat to life, attempted murder and shooting of mr oloye elega and other acts of molestation of workers and staffs of the company in contravention of factory act 2004 fgn.

The petition dated 24th, Janury, 2021, read thus, ‘With sublime respect,  we are Solicitors to PAN African united Youth Development Network represented by Amb. ,Habib Muhammad, Nigerian Youth Coalition represented by Bar. Aare Oladotun Hassan, Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide represented by Sola Olumola, and All Concerned and Affected Staffs of BN Ceramic Nigeria Limited hereinafter referred to as “Our Clients/Victims, on whose behalf we seek you’re urgent due diligent investigation and prosecution of the above captioned matter respectively.

‘’Based on this premise, the fact of the matter is bordering on continuous criminal actions of slavery and multiple injustices meted on the helpless Nigerian youths by the management of BN Ceramic Limited perpetrated by Mr. Saliu Mohammed, Human Resource Manager, wherein for many years the culprits subjected innocent female youths to sexual harassment, recent shooting of Oloye Elega, a cleaner, threatening violence and attack our clients respectively.

‘’Hence, we are aghast to report this serial act of threats against workers, for lots of workers  have been subjected to gross human rights violations under hash circumstances, but if nothing meaningful is done, this threat is capable of reality and eventual evil consequences to our clients, precipitating our urgent appeal for a due diligent investigation of the culprits.

‘’Our clients are civil and law abiding citizens, with no traces of criminality or taints. We shall await your accelerated approval of our petition for onward investigation accordingly.

Earlier, The President of PAN African Youth Development Network Ambassador Habib Muhammad has called Federal Governmnet to look into the alleged slavery and injustice meted on Nigerian youth by the management of BN ceramics Nigeria Limited.

Muhammad made the call when he led other members of the organisation to BN Ceramics Company owned by Chinese investors based in Ajaokuta, Kogi State and Addressing the management of the company after the team toured the production site, Muhammed explained that the visit was borne out of series of complaints received from the workers of the industry.

He lamented that after the tour of BN ceramics factory the group observed a lot of irregularities perpetrated by the management of the company on Nigeria youth whom they engaged as factory workers.

The youth leader who was visibly furious stated that the organization cannot sit down and allow Nigerian youth being used as slaves in their own country.

He blamed the Human Resource Manager of the company Salihu Mohammed for conniving with the Chinese to suffer Nigeria youth through arbitrary deduction of their salaries, poor remuneration and hazardous working environment.

The President of coalition of youth organizations in Nigeria, Barrister Oladotun Hassan who was part of the team that visited the company stated that the workers of BN Ceramics Nigeria limited have complaint of gross ineptitude, devaluation and violation of human rights as contained in the labor law, stressing that the tour to the factory of the company proved that the complaints are genuine.

He alleged that the company has violated the factory Act 2004 of the federal republic of Nigeria in relation to health, safety, hazard and precautionary measures, expressed displeasure over prolonged working hours and actualization of workers and working without appointment letters as complained by the employees of BN Ceramics Limited.

The youth leader also disclosed that a legal action will be taking over the shooting of one Oloye Elega, a cleaner in the company who was paid a paltry sum of money as compensation.

He also called on the Minister of labour Dr Chris Ngige to act swiftly with a view to end such anomalies, stressing that the minister cannot be sitting in the comfort of his office while foreigners are dehumanizing Nigerian youth under the pretense of creating jobs for Nigerians.