Samuel Ogunkoya, a 26-year-old worker of
Wempco Steel Mill Company, Magboro, Ogun
State, has been killed after one of the pipes
affixed to the company’s ‘actrus pumping
machine’ fell and smashed his head.
It was learnt that the vehicle, which housed the
machine, had developed a mechanical fault
about a month before the incident. Some
workers were said to have reported the fault,
but the management allegedly told them to
“manage it like that.”
PUNCH Metro gathered that the vehicle was
eventually taken to a mechanic’s shop on Friday
for repair and was returned to the company on
Monday by the mechanic.
The machine was being used to mold concrete
bricks when one of the steel pipes of the
machine fell and landed on Ogunkoya’s head.
Our correspondent was told that the deceased,
who hailed from the Ijebu-Igbo area of the
state, wanted to pick the charger for the
remote control of the vehicle when the pipe
smashed his head. He was said to have been
rushed to a hospital in the community, where
he was referred to the Lagos State University
Teaching Hospital, Ikeja. He was reportedly
confirmed ‘Dead on Arrival.’
Some of the deceased’s colleagues, who spoke
with PUNCH Metro on condition of anonymity
for fear of losing their jobs, blamed the
company for Ogunkoya’s death.
They said three other workers, identified only
as Jimoh, Samuel and Ibrahim, had died earlier
in the year as a result of the management’s
indifference to workers’ welfare.
One of them, who witnessed the incident, said
the “hydraulic system” of the vehicle was long
overdue for a replacement.
He said, “For almost a month now, the vehicle
was releasing hydraulic oil. One of us
complained to the management, but they said
there was no time; they said we should manage
it like that. We complained that the vehicle was
not working well, but they said, ‘go and manage
it or leave the job.’
“It was taken to a mechanic last Friday and was
brought back on Monday. It was not tested
before the production commenced. The
machine has five pipes used for molding
concrete. A worker and the mechanic were
operating the vehicle. Four pipes had come.
The fifth one was coming out when it suddenly
fell and smashed his head as he bent down to
pick the charger. ”
Another worker lamented the working
conditions in the company.
“I have been working in this company for over
five years. There is no welfare for the workers.
Ogunkoya is the fourth worker we have lost to
the company’s negligence this year after Jimoh,
Samuel and Ibrahim. It was a forklift machine
that smashed Jimoh’s body. He was passing by;
unknown to him, a machine was being operated
from the inside. The forklift pinned him to the
floor. He died on the way to the hospital.
“There should be a hospital inside the
company, where casualties can be rushed to,
but the management are only interested in
using us to make money,” he said.
A father of two, who also works for Wempco,
said they were not only poorly paid, but were
also subjected to dehumanising conditions. He
said Ibrahim was electrocuted.
He said, “After we finished production
sometime in March, Ibrahim was bathing on an
iron sheet laid across the drain when a wire
that passed through the place electrocuted
him. He died on the spot. There is no
bathroom for us in the company; no toilet. We
excrete inside the bush. This is my seventh
year in the company, yet I am still a casual
worker. They pay us N15,000 every two weeks.
If we have issues with our bosses, they may
deduct N2,000 0r N5,000 from our wages. We
resume work at 7am and close at 7pm.”
Another employee said they kept mum on the
wages to avoid being sacked. “If they know we
spoke with PUNCH, we are gone,” he added.
One of the mangers of the company, Mr.
Abdulganiyu Abdulazeez, said the incident was
blown out of proportion, adding that some
workers were not safety-conscious.
He said, “There is no much response that I can
give now. When anything happens, people
exaggerate the information. That is what they
(workers) are trying to do. As a citizen, I am
there to protect the interest of Nigerian.
“When we see, I will tell you the true picture of
things. In every organisation, accidents are
bound to happen. Some of these workers don’t
use their safety devices.”

source:www.punchng.com/metro-plus/wempcos-machine-smashes-workers-head-during-production/

Especially those Asian/indians factory here with faulty machine/manage syndrome.No safety helmet.they wear bathroom slippers than boot.The unfortunate/miserable Nig supervisor(if any there)rather than speak the truth will twist n turn it/blame the dead.Nothing will come out of dis.Business as usual

RIP

Wish the machine smashed the head of the factory supervisor/the management.Useless pipu.

marv1:
RIP

Lalasticala, abeg this matter tire me sotey I no know section Wey I go put am. Pls move it to d relevant section. Gracias

LTC... Last to comment
We travel go dia country, dem dey show us pepper say we b illegal immigrant, dem travel come our country dem dey kill us say we no dey security conscious.... Na thunder go Fire dem... Some chinko company maybe paying better, buh all dis dia useless Nigeria manager/cordinator/suroervisor dey always slash dia money....

All the people above me no dey sleep oooo.

Anyway, RIP!

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