17-year-old Babatunde Abdulrahmon was not as lucky as Green.
The teenager succumbed to the injuries he sustained on the day he resumed work as a mixer at a manufacturing company, Mingyi Trading Company Limited, located in Satellite Town, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The sad incident happened in May 2021. Our correspondent gathered that the teenager, who went to the company in search of work, was introduced to the manager, one Mr Uchenna Umeanna, who assigned him to a supervisor.
The supervisor, one Abdulrahmon and other members of staff were busy in the factory when a power outage suddenly occurred.
In a bid to continue production, a worker in the company was said to have quickly switched on the generator, and as the mixing machine began working, Abdulrahmon, who was close to it, was unfortunately sucked into the mixer.
The manager told our correspondent that Abdulrahmon sustained severe injuries on his body, especially the legs, adding that efforts by doctors to save him at a nearby hospital proved abortive.
The manager said, “It was an unfortunate incident. Abdulrahmon came looking for a job and I personally took him to the supervisor to put him through. After some hours, I heard screams and rushed down to the factory.
Lost limb in Ikorodu factory
On April 5, 2022, a worker with Spring Feeds Limited, Itamaga, Ikorodu, Lagos, Adekunle Shokunbi, resumed work at the factory for the day.
Little did he know that danger lurked and that he would come back without his right hand.
The young man said at the close of work, he was trying to clear remnants of animal feed in the machine used for mixing when tragedy struck.
The 23-year-old said his right hand was still inside the machine when his colleague, whom he identified as David, suddenly switched it on.
The implement trapped and shattered a significant part of his right hand, leaving just a stump close to his elbow.
Adekunle said as soon as what was left of his hand was extricated from the machine’s hold, he was rushed to the Ijede General Hospital by his colleagues.
The Managing Director of the company, Dayo Seriki, said the accident was caused by Adekunle, and accused him of going beyond his duty.
“It is not his duty to operate the machine; he went there on his own. How can somebody operate a machine without knowing about the machine?” Seriki queried while speaking with our correspondent.
Although several attempts have been made to get justice for the young man, he is yet to get respite.
“I feel depressed most times. I don’t expect my life to be like this despite all the struggles I have gone through,” he told our correspondent before giving in to emotion at his parent’s house situated in Ogun State.”
No masks, safety vests
On Tuesday, our correspondent visited Lucky Fibre Limited, in Ikorodu, Lagos, which produces synthetic hair extensions for a popular hair brand.
This reporter, who posed as a jobseeker, met with a man, who refused to give his name but claimed to be a supervisor.
The 17-year-old said, “I want to be an engineer and I need the money. I will keep saving till I get what I am looking for.”
Safety lapses at Agbara plastic recycling factory
In Agbara, a community located along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, sat a plastic recycling factory commonly referred to by locals as ‘Waste to Wealth’.
There, our correspondent observed that the employees worked without any safety gear. One of them, who gave his name as Tunde, said he lost his fingers while working.
He, however, added that he had not been able to leave the job because he badly needed the money to survive.
“My brother, I know what I am going through. Working here is like hell. I have lost three fingers. I was even lucky. Before I joined, I learnt one person lost his entire arm after an encounter with a melting machine,” Tunde lamented.
Asked how much he receives as wage, he said between N900 and N1500 on weekdays, and N1500 and N1800 on Weekends.
Fell into melting pot
Another factory worker, Sunday Usenobong, died from injuries he allegedly sustained while working at the Landcraft Industry Nigeria Limited located in the Odogunyan Industrial Estate, Ikorodu.
The then state Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, said the 50-year-old fell inside a melting pot, while operating the company’s machine, and died on the spot, adding that homicide detectives, who visited the scene of the accident, evacuated the corpse.
Reacting to the spate of industrial accidents in the state, the DG, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mojola stressed that the state government had declared zero tolerance for factories and private organisations violating safety rules and regulations, adding that it had sealed off Multipak Nigeria Limited.
According to him, the company’s violation of safety rules and regulations, poor housekeeping and lack of signage led to the untimely death of Olatunde, whose head got stuck while operating one of the machines.
“On no account should any factory operate without putting in place safety equipment, quality housekeeping, signage, good wiring system and a clean environment devoid of hazards to the lives of workers and visitors,” Mojola said.
Burnt to death in Ogun factory
Our correspondent learnt that the company, which is managed by one Mr Lee, a Chinese national, employed Vincent and many other young men as casual workers four years earlier.
Vincent lost his life when the engine used to mould ceramics exploded.
Although the Ogun State Police Command through its spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, described the incident as an industrial accident, his family disagreed, arguing that their brother who is a father of three would have survived if he was given appropriate medical attention.
A guardian, identified as Isah Suleiman, said, “The police shouldn’t allow them to treat it as a normal accident when the truth is that our brother was allowed to die due to negligence. He is a father of three. His mother and kids are all in Adamawa.”
Despite the many pleas made by other workers to uncover the truth behind the incident, the Chinese national was accused of not honouring invitations from the police.
Another tragedy
In September 2012, two Nigerian men were said to have lost their lives while on duty at a Chinese-owned company.
The Labour Act, which guides all labour practices in Nigeria, states, “It shall not be a defence to an employer who is sued in respect of personal injuries caused by the negligence of a person employed by him, that that person was, at the time the injuries were caused, in common employment with the person injured.
“Any provisions contained in a contract of service or apprenticeship, or in an agreement collateral thereto (including a contract or agreement entered into before the commencement of this section) shall be void in so far as it would have the effect of excluding or limiting any liability of the employer in respect of personal injuries caused to the person employed or apprenticed by the negligence of persons in common employment with him.”
Despite violating labour laws and the acts establishing many factories, especially those owned by foreigners, findings show that the government has reportedly failed to take punitive actions against defaulters.
International labour laws
The International Labour Organisation in its section on workplace safety noted that the protection of workers against sickness, disease, and injury arising out of employment is the responsibility of the company.
It stated, “Work should take place in a safe and healthy working environment; conditions of work should be consistent with workers’ well-being and human dignity; work should offer real possibilities for personal achievement, self-fulfilment, and service to society.”
Despite these laws, Nigeria still lags behind in occupational health and safety standards.
It stated, “Every dangerous part of any machinery, other than prime movers and transmission machinery, shall be securely fenced, unless it is in such a position or of such construction as to be as safe to every person employed or working on the premises, as it would be if securely fenced, provided that, in so far as the safety of a dangerous part of any machinery cannot by reason of the nature of the operation be secured by means of a fixed guard, the requirements of this subsection shall be deemed to have been complied with if a device is provided, which in the opinion of the Director of Factories satisfactorily protects the operator or other persons from coming into contact with that part.”
CSO raises the alarm
Meanwhile, a civil society group, the Global Voices Media Observatory Research on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, identified two major categories of infractions by Chinese companies in Nigeria – industrial accidents caused by lack of safety standards, and forced labour.
“These stories and allegations, shared in Nigerian newspapers and on social media by reporters, witnesses, and others, together build a narrative that paints Chinese factory owners and businesspeople in Nigeria as abusive and indifferent to the health and rights of their employees. While not every allegation has been proven, together they degrade the image of China in Nigeria as a fair employer and benevolent partner.
“The silence of Nigeria’s federal government in response to these alleged infractions by Chinese business owners of the country’s labour laws and international labour covenants points to the asymmetrical relationship between the two countries,” it said in a publication on its website.
‘Most foreigners undocumented’
A senior official at the Federal Ministry of Interior, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that most of the Asian nationals seen in the country, who claim to be ‘employers of labour’ are undocumented.
Govt must conduct impromptu safety checks – Expert
A safety expert, Mr Bernard Uranta, has urged state governments to conduct unannounced safety checks on factories, among others.
“The government must show that they are proactive. They must not always wait till the accidents happen before they act. They must clamp down on these companies.
The International Labour Organisation specified that work should take place in a safe and healthy environment that promotes human dignity. However, in several factories owned by foreign nationals, where vulnerable Nigerians throng for low-cost labour due to the dire economic situation, caution is thrown to the wind as safety takes backstage. This over the years has caused avoidable loss of limbs, trauma and deaths, GODFREY GEORGE writes
After Mabel Green failed to pass the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations for the third time, she felt deflated and decided to learn a skill.
With an absent father, her mother who could barely pass off as a petty trader with the little wares she displays by a corner of a very busy street, painstakingly takes on the care of her five siblings.
Seeing how burdened her mother was, Mabel realized that taking her destiny into her own hands remained the best option to stay alive.
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In August 2018, tired of her condition, she went in search of a sales job in Abalamabie, a community in the oil-rich Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, which was quite close to her home, but she found none.
Her next stop was the Bonny General Hospital, where she went in search of a cleaning job but was told by the officials that there was no vacancy for such.
That was when one of her friends, Jacob, asked if she could work in a sachet water factory.
“They offered to pay me N15,000 monthly and provide accommodation within the premises, but I never knew I would lose my fingers while on the job,” she said, sighing loudly.
The first day Mabel resumed work at the factory, she perceived a nauseous stench emanating from the sewage waste in the building and on noticing her grimace, she was handed a mask by one of the employees, who said she would get used to the smell after some time.
Mabel was then taken to her room where an official who identified herself as Belema, told her she would share the place with three other ladies.
Mabel had barely settled in when she learnt that the person she had come to replace had a hand injury and was asked to leave when she could no longer work.
“I was told I would be working in the packaging room but somehow, they moved me to the production area three weeks after my appointment. When the month ended, I was paid N10,000 and told that I was on probation,” she stated.
Bathed with boiling water
In the third month of her employment, Mabel said the central socket in the factory malfunctioned and her bosses said they would use the one in her room to boil some water to wash certain tools in the machine.
credit link: https://punchng.com/limbs-for-penny-untold-ordeals-of-casual-workers-who-lost-body-parts-lives-on-duty/
