Former workers of SeaWolf Oil Field on Monday staged a protest at Asset Management Corporation (AMCON), demanding the payment of N5 billion backlog of 23 months salaries and terminal benefits.
Mr Victor Ogundayo, who spoke to newsmen on behalf of the ex-workers in Abuja, said they embarked on the protest to draw AMCON’s attention to their plight.
Ogundayo said that 23 months was a long time for any worker to go without a salary.
The protesting workers threatened to remain in the premises of AMCON until their demands were met by the appropriate authorities.
The protesters blocked the entire Murjanatu House in Maitama, Abuja, where AMCON and other companies have their offices.
“AMCON took over our facility in 2013 because SeaWolf was indebted to a lot of commercial banks. They did so without settling the workers.
“The standard in the oil and gas sector is that for whatever reason a company is taken, workers must be paid their terminal benefits, which AMCON has refused to do.
“Before we came here, we took our grievances to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and to Ministry of Labour and Productivity.
“They all asked AMCON to pay us our entitlements.
“ In May, we met with the MD, AMCON. He assured us that our claims will be addressed within 48 hours, but it’s been three months and no word has come from them,’’ he said.
Ogundayo, who alleged that the situation had led to the death and hospitalisation of some of the affected workers, urged the Federal Government to intervene in the matter.
Meanwhile, AMCON’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Kayode Lambo, said that the protest was illegal due to a court injunction stopping them from doing so.
“ I cannot tell you what AMCON is doing to address the situation because the case has been taken to court and doing so will be prejudice,’’ he said.
