Reps Probe Indorama Workers, Attack

The House of Representatives, yesterday, resolved to investigate alleged brutalisation of Nigerian workers in Indorama Fertilizer and Chemical Limited, Port Harcourt, by soldiers and mobile policemen.
To this end, the House mandated its Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation to carry out the investigation.
Some Nigerian workers were alleged to have been brutalised by soldiers and policemen at the instance of the foreign owners of the company located in Eleme, near the Rivers State capital.
The committee is also to investigate the alleged huge disparity in the salary structure between the Nigerian employees and their foreign counterparts in the company.
The resolution of the House was sequel to a motion under matters of urgent national importance by Rep. Babatunde Kolawole (Ondo-APC).
Moving the motion, Kolawole said that Indorama Fertiliser and Chemical Limited produced about 4,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer  per day.
He said that the volume of production by the company was estimated to rake in two million dollars, reportedly the highest in the world.
But, he said that there was a discord between the company and its Nigerian workers over huge disparity in salaries.
Kolawole stated that the Nigerian field operator in the company earns about N46, 000 after tax, while his Indian contemporary earns over N2million for the same job schedule.
“The workers downed tools in a peaceful protest on the 13th of July, 2017, and the management called in soldiers and mobile policemen to force the workers back to work.
“And, in a bid by the soldiers and policemen to force them back to work, they allegedly used tear gas, stun grenades, belts and horse whips on the workers.
“They were beaten and brutalised, and several of them sustained various degrees of injuries.”
He expressed displeasure that the Nigerian Army, meant to protect the country against external aggression, and their police counterpart, were being used at will by expatriates against Nigerians.
The lawmaker decried the situation and said that he had video and pictorial evidence of the assault.
According to him, though the case of salary disparity has been reportedly filed with the Ministry of Labour since last year, nothing has been done about it till this moment.
The motion was unanimously adopted by members when it was put to a voice vote by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Yusuff Lasun, who presided at the plenary.
The motion was referred to the Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, which was given two weeks to report back.