Posted on 10/15/2002 2:44:37 PM PDT by Willie Green
For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.
Here lies the remains of unfortunate Nigerian workers, who in the course of searching for their daily bread, met their deaths in the hands of expatriate slave masters right on their own soil.
Perhaps, the above will best describe what will be the epitaph on the graves of those unfortunate factory workers of the West African Rubber Products Company Limited at Odogunyan, Ikorodu in Lagos State who were roasted to death in the avoidable fire incident that occured at the factory recently.
I do not think, one can find adequate words to describe that ugly incident which could have been averted if adequate, protective or preventive measures had been put in place.
For most Nigerians, the greatest battle of their lives which they are fighting now is how to keep body and soul together. This battle could have been easily won, but the major weapon which they need to prosecute it is what is getting out of their reach day in day out, and this is good jobs.
The above aside, it is clearly stated in the Bible that those who refuse to work should not eat and this is to say that for you to have anything to eat, you must have something doing. This is why most Nigerians, in obedience to this biblical injunction are always out looking for something to lay their hands on.
The economic situation in this country is not helping matters in that the labour market is so saturated with people who are within the employment bracket to the extent that no matter how highly educated you are, you cannot be assured of being gainfully employed in this country.
Day in day out one comes across people with chains of degrees going from one place to the other, looking for jobs that are not just there. From government to the organised private sector (ops), nobody is willing to employ anybody unless you are highly connected.
The above reason is why at any slightest opportunity, Nigerians jump at job opportunities, not minding the condition of service that goes with such offer.
Under the guise of coming to create job opportunities in this country, many foreigners troop in on daily basis to start one business venture or the other and because our government says they want to open Nigerian economy/market to foreign investors, we do not usually take the pain to critically look at whether these foreign partners have put all the neccessary things in place to create a conducive working environment for the potential factory workers; majority of who will be Nigerians.
After securing all necessary papers; (fraudulently at times) for them to start operations, these supposed foreign investors turn themselves overnight to foreign cheaters. They find in some shrewd Nigerian businessmen who will do anything for them to make profit even when it is crystally clear that they have invested little or nothing to make the business venture a profitable one.
In their motherland most Nigerian workers are suffering. What they are made to pass through in the hands of these foreign task masters is best imagined than felt. A situation where someone employed as a casual workers is made to work for 12 hours a day with one hour´s break, placed under locks and keys, is slavish enough in a country that has a democratic government in place.
There is no denying the fact that as at is with all other segment of the soceity, the task of providing gainful employment for the citizens should not be left in the hands of government alone. But the fact still remains that any government worth its salt, will not open its eyes and watch the citizens whom it is supposed to protect, suffer in their own land.
In as much as one will want to support the idea of free or open economic system whereby foreigners are allowed or encouraged to come and invest in the country because of its positive effects on our economy, adequate machinery should be put in place to ensure that a conducive working environment is created by these foreign investors and that their workers are not treated like those in Nazi concentration camps during the World War II.
Ososan wrote in from Lagos.
Those guys must be rolling in the dough. I'm in a business partnership with a personage of some clout in Nigerian society as well. This deal should be lucrative enough to retire in luxury real, real soon now.
No way, couldn't be your deal. My contact is from Sioux City, IA. Yeah, that's it - Otobo M'Benga of the Sioux City M'Bengas. And, when was the last time somebody from Iowa lied to you? I thought not.
(whistles "We're In the Money ...")
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