Workers at the Obajana cement plant in Kogi State have been protesting what they claim is “unfair treatment” by the company’s management.
According to reports, the demonstrators have been blocking Kabba’s sole access road since early Monday morning.
Many of the drivers were observed protesting in spite of the presence of heavy security, and they used their trucks to block the entryways to the Dangote plant site in Obajana.
Due to unfair business tactics against them, the management was being demanded to be fired by the irate truck drivers.
One of the drivers said that the police had a history of financially harming the drivers and that they had taken unauthorized deductions from their pay for reasons as flimsy as vehicle maintenance and damage to cement bags.
He pointed out that the management’s actions had an impact on the financial standing of drivers, and he added that some of them were now owed up to a million naira by the business.
He said, “The drivers are treated like nobody in Obajana. Sometimes we have to effect repairs on the trucks with our money to keep our job. They hardly give us enough fuel. These are parts of the problems we are facing here.”
Another driver who also pleaded anonymity, said “Poor working conditions, poor remuneration, inhuman treatment of staff are some of the reasons for the protests” and demanded the removal of Head of Transportation, Alhaji Babangida, aka Obama.
He also took issue with the fact that drivers were only granted N5,000 for a lengthy trip and instructed to fix technical issues and worn tires.
The workers wanted change, he said, and they hoped that their situation would receive the urgent attention it deserved.
By Monday afternoon, men from the Kogi Police Command and the army had cleared the road, allowing drivers and passengers access.
As a result of the protest, it was learned that there had been no loading at the company for the previous 24 hours.
However, Tony Chiejina, the Dangote Group’s Head of Corporate Communications, said on Tuesday ,that the truck drivers were upset about the company’s choice to put anti-theft devices on the vehicles.
“They are demanding the removal of such devices to enable them continue to steal fuel from the truck when they are to deliver cements.
“I have never heard of anywhere staff will get angry for installing anti-theft devices to prevent fraud and losses to the company.
“They have been adequately taken care of in terms of remuneration and so the company cannot and will not allow them to continue to steal from the company,” Chiejina added.
