Nigeria Police Bar Iron And Steel Workers, Affiliate Of ULC From Protesting To DSC Plant In Delta

The Police in Oviwan/Aladja in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State on Wednesday prevented Iron & Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria as well as Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria (An Affiliate of the United Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC) from reaching the premises of Premium Steel & Mines Limited, operators of the Delta Steel Company.

BigPen Online reports that the demonstrators who were protesting over their unpaid entitlements including arrears and salaries were blocked by a term of policemen led by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Joseph.A. Esegine who said the protest was not approved by police authority.

The protesters who converged at the Lagos Junction, Steel Town as early as 7am were met by a team of heavily armed anti-riot police personnel, who prevented them from moving further toward the steel plant.

Sensing that their men would become stranded in the face of police resistance,
some women (wives of the DSC Workers) reportedly stormed the scene and encourage the protesting men to march on chanting “how many people police go kill o”.

The protesters later defied the police resistance, saying that the police cannot stop them except their monies are paid or the relevant authorities come out to address to them.

Some placards bore by protesters had the inscriptions such
as “Premium Steel pay us our entitlements or No work”, ”We are no
longer in control of our homes Delta Steel Company Workers’, “ AMCON/Receiver Manager we reject 25% payment as final terminal
benefits”.

“AMCON pay us our 100% entitlement or NO Work”, “Delta Steel Company Workers children are out of school” ”Monkey dey work, baboon dey eat”,”AMCON pay us our labour we have worked for”, “Our labour must not be in vain” and “Receiver manager don’t enslave us again”among others.

Addressing the protesters who marched through the Egini road in Steel Town down to the Ovwain-Aladja Police Station, the DPO, Mr. Esegine noted that he actually received a letter from the DSC Workers informing the
police of the protest but the protest was not approved hence he deployed Personnel to stop the protest in a bid to forestall break down of law and order.

CSP Esegine advised the protesters to pass through the ‘proper
channel” to register their protests so that some bad elements doesn’t disrupt and hijack the process.

CSP Esegine also noted that the police is not against the leadership
of the DSC Workers in addressing its members, stressing that they
should pursue their cause with dialogue just as he appreciated the
protesters for embarking on a peaceful protest

“We are all aware of the basic problems around this community and we are all aware of the crisis between Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja so we don’t want anybody
to hijack this protest exercise. That is why we are here on ground to provide
this coverage.

“We are not against you trying to address your people. There are other ways in which you can address your people without leading to violence and hoodlums hijacking it.”

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, the General Secretary of the
United Labour Congress, Mr. Didi.A. Adodo stated that they embarked on
the peaceful protest because the Federal Government, AMCON, Receiver
Manager and Premium Steel refused to pay their entitlements.

Adodo claimed that they were only paid 25% contrary to the 100%
agreements reached before above mentioned agencies purportedly said
and they don’t want to pay again.

Adodo stated that they are currently being owed 75% while some of its
members were not even paid the 25%.

He said several ultimatum had been issued to the above mentioned
establishments but they have refused to convene a meeting to address
their plights just as he adviced the Federal Government to pay all
their entitlements including arrears and salaries in full.

“The Police cannot stop us except they pay us our money or allow the authorities to address us”.

The Vice President (Private Sector) of Iron & Steel Senior Staff
Association of Nigeria, Mr. Ebhaleme Pius and the Udu Branch Chairman,
Chief Peace Oputu corroborated the claims of Mr. Didi.A. Adodo just as
they also appealed to the Federal Government to honour the agreement
reached and ensure 100% payments of their entitlements.