In a decisive move, Minister of Labour and Employment for State, Nkiru Onyejiosha, has ordered the immediate closure of a Metal Manufacturing factory in Sagamu Local Government on Friday.
Quest Times gathered that the company, located at Gbara near Sotubo, not only produces batteries, but has also been neglecting the safety of its workers by failing to provide necessary protective gear, despite repeated warnings.
Expressing grave concern, Onyejiosha stated, “After being told of what is happening here at this company, I told my staff to come around and instruct them to do what the law says because they deal with lead which is quite harmful.
“I told them that the company should do some cleaning up and ensure that their workers are properly kitted so that their lives will not be endangered unnecessarily but I later got the report that the company has refused to do anything.”
Taking matters into her own hands, the Minister personally visited the facility from Abuja. What she witnessed exceeded the described negligence, deeming it “awful and unacceptable,” as workers were found without proper safety gear, handling materials with bare hands, and lacking essential protective measures.
Onyejiosha emphasized, “This level of irresponsibility is unprecedented. I have never seen the kind of irresponsibility I am seeing at this factory from any manufacturer though, they are telling me that theirs is still better. The company is prohibited until the management is ready to do things as it is provided for in the laws of our land.”
Consequently, the Director of Occupational Safety and Health Department, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mrs Lauretta Adogwu, along with ministry staff, promptly affixed a prohibition notice on the company premises, with workers being urged to vacate immediately, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.