How CIG Motors Boss Tortures Nigerian Staff With Chains

 LUCKY LAWAL

A social critic and human right activist, Adetayo Adegbero has called the attention of the Federal Government, Civil Society Organisations and Labour Unions and well meaning Nigerians to the ill treatment meted upon Nigerians working for CIG Motors and how Ms Diana Chen of CIG Motors has allegedly been running a labour camp.

According to Adetayo, when the story of how the Chinese employers were maltreating their Nigerian staff and how Ms Diana Chen was alleged to be running a labour camp came to their notice, he said they took interest in the story. They reached out to a source inside the organization and said that what they discovered was staggering.

“What is happening in CIG Motors is nothing but modern day slavery. It has been revealed on good authority that 85 percent of Nigerians working under CIG Motors Company are under perpetual slavery in their own land. CIG Motors – a Chinese company maltreats Nigerians and puts them under harsh working conditions which do not conformed to the rules and laid down procedures of the Nigerian labour law act. There are other gory details of serious abuse of human rights going on in that company which is against the Nigerian labour law,” Adetayo said.

He further said that another discovery was the fact that Ms Diana Chen had been using underhand tactics to edge out Nigerian businesses who were also interested in the importation and distribution of the Chinese car brand called GAC; an act that can be referred to as purely economic sabotage.

According to report, there was an ongoing lawsuit at the Industrial Court against the company.

Investigations conducted by our correspondent revealed that Nigerian staff were working under harsh and severe conditions.

Workers were tortured with marks on their bodies. Chains were used on both legs and arms with body wounds all over them.

Adetayo in his submission said that the Nigerian staff working with CIG Motors were just enslaved and beaten like animals.

The Human rights advocate therefore appeals to the Federal Government, Civil Society Organisations, Labour Unions and concerned Nigerians to rise against this injustice by a Chinese which cannot be tolerated in their country.

He therefore demands that all staff under the employment of Ms Diana Chen should be given a full letter of employment with full benefits, all forms of monopolies being claimed by Ms Chen should be terminated immediately, immediate audit of all Chinese employees under the CIG Motors employment, their visa status and their educational background, and all Nigerian employees under CIG motors should be allowed to join any labour organization of their choice.

When P.M.EXPRESS Correspondent visited the CIG office in Victoria Island, Lagos to get the side of the company’s story, she was harassed and intimidated.

The gate to the company was manned by fierce looking security personnel who did not want to attend to anyone or grant any journalist entrance into the premises despite telling them that the mission was to see the Head of the Human Resources Department to get clarification on the allegations.

An eye witness also corroborated the allegations in a chat with our correspondent that the Chinese company was using Nigerians as slaves in their own land.

He said that the Nigerian authorities must look into the inhuman treatment meted out to citizens in their own country by foreigners.