Borno
State-Governor-Kashim-Shettima
NNPC Guards,
Borno
State-Governor-Kashim-Shettima
NNPC Guards, Cleaners Protest Non-payment of Salary in
Borno
Private security guards and cleaners deployed to the Nigeria
National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) Depot in Maiduguri have
staged a peaceful demonstration to protest non-payment of 7-months
salary arrears.
The protesting workers blocked the depot’s gate to prevent
staff, petrol tankers and visitors from gaining entrance.
The security guards, who were employees of JAFI Security
Limited, carried placards bearing different inscriptions, such as:
“Pay us our 7-months salaries,’’ “We are not slaves,” and “Our
children are out of school.”
One of the protesting guards, Mr Iliya Miyem, lamented that
their employer failed to pay their salaries despite their
pleas.
Miyem said: “We are getting half salary in the past years and
the company stopped payment of our salary since April.”
He therefore called for government intervention to resolve the
matter and address their plight.
Other protesters, Messrs Ali Bura and Umar Ali, said the action
had exposed them to hardship and unbearable life conditions.
Ali accused the management of the company of being insensitive
to their plight, alleging that the employer had on several
occasions threatened to sack them whenever they demand for payment
of their salaries.
On his part, Bura said he could not meet his family needs and
pay school fees for his children.
Also, Malam Ibrahim Bashir, a cleaner, said that they were
protesting payment of N7, 500 as salary by their employer, as
against the N18,000 national minimum wage.
In a swift reaction, Mr Alkali Lamba, the Director, JAFI
Security Guard, dismissed the claims as ‘misleading’, adding that
the company paid its workers as at when due.
Lamba explained that JAFI had in September took over ownership
of the Kala Security Company, which previously engaged the services
of the protesters.
He disclosed that JAFI Company owed its workers only two months
salaries, stressing that they should demand payment of the
remaining salary arrears from their former employer.
“We took over Kala Security in September, they have two months
outstanding salaries with JAFI Company, and not eight months as
erroneously claimed,’’ he said.
Lamba assured that his company is working with the NNPC
management to facilitate payment of the two months’ salary
arrears.
However, the Acting Depot Manager, Mr Nasiru Gaji, declined
comments and ordered newsmen to be chased away from the
premises.
“I will deal with you if you do not leave this place in one
minute; I will arrest all of you.
“Journalists have no right to take pictures here,” Gaji
threatened.
By PRNigeria