NAPO Members Allege Security Manhandling

Combined security
agents attached to the Indorama Fertiliser Plant, Eleme Petrochemical Nig Ltd, in Akpajo, Eleme local government area of Rivers State, been alleged Monday to have beaten up protesting members of the National Association of Plant Operators (NAPO), who were protesting on the termination and sack of their members without benefits by Deawoo Nigeria Limited contracted by Indorama Company.
The protesters included the over 200 retrenched staff of Deawoo at the Indorama contract and the leadership of the NAPO were allegedly beaten to stupor by soldiers and fierce looking mobile police men drafted to the company gate.
The protesters alleged that the security personnel used heavy sticks and belts to beat them as well as seized their phones.
The protesters also alleged that the security agents prevented them from seeing the management of the both companies for a dialogue. An eye witness who spoke to our reporter at the company said that the security men attached to the Indorama Company was equipped to teeth.
Later in an interview, the National Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NAPO, Comrade Harold Benstowe, said they came to the place as early as 6,00am and succeeded in locking the gate of the company singing labour songs before a combined security agents made up of Army and mobile policemen arrived there at 8am and started beating them with weapons.
“They seized all our banners, tore our clothes, although we were not afraid of them, we simply told them to kill us. They called Eleme youths to come and also fight us,” he stated.
One of the sacked Deawoo Indorama project staff, Mr Ezeama Aaron, said they were only asking Deawoo to pay the redundancy benefits.
The PRO Eleme youths, Comrade Joshua Omute, however denied that the company asked Eleme youths to fight but they were there to ask them to take option of dialogue.
The security operatives did not allow our reporter entry into Indorama premises to get their own side of the story.
When contacted on phone, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Ahmed Mohammad, refused to pick the call put across.