Former workers of the Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON), Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, at the weekend lamented that over 35 of them have died from hardship and ill-health.
They said most of them were experiencing difficulties and frustration due to the non-payment of their severance benefits after they were laid off by the company over 10 years ago.
Five hundred and sixty-two ex-staff of ALSCON in June complained that a pension agency omitted their names from the nominal roll used in the payment of severance benefits to disengaged workers of the defunct company.
Spokesman for the affected ex-workers, Mr. Hope Ufot Wilfred, said over 35 of them had died without receiving their benefits.
He blamed the pension agency and a government enterprise for their predicament.
Wilfred listed some of the deceased as Mr. Ufot Essiet, Prince Idem Etuk, Mr. Sylvester Ikpong, Mr. Christopher Essen, Mr. Anthony Ataekong, Mr. Edet Okon Udo, Mr. Justine Marcos Udoudo, Mr. Sifon Brownson, Mr. Seno Umoh, Mr. Collins Assam, among others.
He said: ‘’I am representing a group of ALSCON workers who have been denied payment of their severance benefits. As a result of this, over 30 to 40 members of staff of the former ALSCON have died, the reason being that they could not afford medical bills.
‘’These were people who worked with ALSCON in tedious and hazardous environments such as the pot room. The hazardous nature of their jobs has affected their health.
‘’To worsen the situation, at the end of their service, instead of the management to give them their entitlements, they were deprived of the money.
‘’Recently, the Federal Government decided to settle the workers and resolve the grievances, but some people in the government enterprise and pension agency decided to deprive 562 workers of their money.”
‘’So over a period of time, these people fell ill and they had no money to take care of their medical bills. As I speak, over 35 of us have died. One of the victims, Mr. Ufot Eshiet, died two weeks ago.
‘’As I am talking, many of us are ill and bedridden. I don’t understand why the pension agency and government enterprise have refused to pay us our severance benefits.”
Wilfred urged President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and investigate how the money released by the Federal Government for the payment of severance entitlements of workers of liquidated companies, particularly ALSCON, was utilised by the pension agency.
Leave a Reply