Wempco’s machine kills worker during production.....SEE PHOTO

Firstclass newsline learnt that 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."
Firstclass newsline learnt 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.
Firstclass newsline 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 firstclass newsline
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 firstclass newsline, 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."
Firstclassnewsline.net