14th October, 2010
Fifteen injured workers of a plastic manufacturing company located at Ajao Estate in Lagos yesterday protested the inhuman treatment meted to them by the management of Celplast Industry Nigeria Limited.
The workers protested in front of the Federal High Court, Alausa, Lagos where their lawyer, Gabriel Ojumah, representing the Citizen’s Right Watch filed a case against the plastic company.
Though the case was not heard due to the absence of the judge, the injured workers used the opportunity to draw the attention of the public to their plight.
Some of the workers who had their limbs and face deformed called on the government to look into the activities of Indian and Lebanese companies operating in the country.
One of the injured workers who gave his name as Nnamdi Ezekiel said he was employed on 4 January as a casual workers and that a faulty machine in the company cut off one of his fingers while he was operating it.
“Some of us have died as a result of industrial accidents in the company. On 11 August, the faulty machine cut off two of my fingers after I had complained to the supervisor who refused to do anything about it,†Ezekiel told P.M.NEWS.
Another injured worker, Uchenna Ezemelam, disclosed that he had his hand and arm burnt when the machine he was working on exploded as a result of the high temperature.
In his own case, Chinedu Nwachukwu who got his right thumb sliced off by the cutting machine he was using, said he was abandoned in the hospital by the management of the company.
He called on the government to intervene in the matter by getting his entitlements for him.
Their lawyer, Barrister Ojumah vowed to fight the cause of the workers until justice is done.
In his own reaction, the director of organization, Citizens Right Watch, Mr. Abraham Overare called for the closure of all Indian and Lebanese companies using Nigerians as slaves.
—Asumah Benedicta