Asaba 2018: “We Were Hired To Fetch Water With Buckets For Athletes”, Protesting Casual Workers Reveal

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa acknowledging cheers from spectators during the just concluded African Senior Athletics Championship, held in Asaba, Delta state

“We were promised N3,000 for a full day work. We resume 5.30am and close around 8.30pm. We fetched water with buckets for three days after the stadium over head storage water tank collapsed which was not the initial agreement”, one of the casual workers engaged by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the just concluded African Senior Athletics Championship, said on Monday.

The workers stated this while protesting over the alleged unpaid allowances promised them by some of the contracting firms hired by the LOC for the five-day continental athletics championship tagged Asaba 2018 held at the recently reconstructed Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, Delta State.

BigPen Online recalls that a giant tank that was supposed to provide water for the stadium collapsed second day of the competition, thus forcing the LOC to engaged local contractors to provide water.

One of the protesters who simply identified herself as Amaka, supported by her counterpart, Grace, lamented that they were made to resume clean-up by 5.30am and close after contingents, Very Important Persons (VIPs) and spectators had left around 8.30pm on a daily basis.

Amaka said they became angry after the N15,000, being the total amount for the five days, was slashed to N7,500, and some persons were shortlisted for N6,000.

“To get our money again today (yesterday) became a problem because they felt they have used us and they can dump us,” she fumed.

One of the aggrieved guards who worked during the competition, nicknamed ‘Africa’ bitterly complained against a consultant for plotting to short-pay them.

He expressed shock that they were subjected to inhuman treatment immediately the event came to a close last Sunday night.

“We provided security throughout the event. Prior to the championship, we were trained for two weeks without pay, accommodation and feeding. No provision was made for our transportation and feeding during the five days. Now, the event has come and gone, someone, somewhere wants to shortchange us,” he said.

They said peace will not reign unless they were paid according to the initial agreement during training.

Daily Sun had reported that most of protesting casual workers, were engaged by private consultants, including Dambiri Global, Top Private Security (TPS) and Force Guard (FG) that got contracts from the LOC headed by Solomon Ogba and the chairman of the state’s Sports Commission, Tonobok Okowa.

Ogba, could not be reached for comment, the newspaper reported.