More than 200 staffers illegally disengaged from service companies under ExxonMobil Nigeria Unlimited, Ibeno are said to have died without collecting their due retirement benefits.
Relations of the deceased in a petition to Open Forum to intervene for them have filed more than 80 death certificates with the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) from different hospitals while others are unable to obtain such due to financial challenge.
Already, SEPLAT has fully acquired ExxonMobil assets worth $800 million berth off-shore.
Related post: Seplat Energy, ExxonMobil Conclude $800m Asset Acquisition
Testifying this at the 2024 end-of-the-year press briefing organised by at Open Forum on Monday, December 23, Mr. Moses Mbong for Janitorial Service Staffers narrated the ordeals they have gone through over the years due to illegal manner they were disengaged from the multinational.
According to him, they went to work one but were shocked that ExxonMobil after laying them off without prior notice locked them out of the company’s premises.
He said ‘‘When ExxonMobil knew that we had gone to National Assembly to lay our complaint, the company hurriedly paid meagre sums ranging from N50,000 to N350,000 into our accounts without recourse to our long years spent in the service of the multinational.
‘‘We had taken our petitions to different quarters, all to no avail. We then decided to come to Open Forum to seek solace to help a few of who are alive from living. Many of our colleagues had died due to financial hardship to take care of their debilitating health status,’’ Mbong stated.
Narrating their ordeal, Mr. Samuel Ekpe for Catering workforce recalled that they were hired by three companies to work for ExxonMobil.
Ekpe said though the ExxonMobil laid them off, no provision was made to pay their due retirement benefits despite pressure.
Earlier, Matthew Koffi Okono, the Productivity Advocate, Open Forum, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) had said that ‘‘We are currently handling issues concerning over 2000 disengaged Janitorial Service Staff and Catering workforce of ExxonMobil Nigeria Unlimited, Ibeno who were without notice disengaged in 2012 and 2017 without payment of their terminal benefits based on existing agreement till date.
‘About two hundred of them are said to have died due to their inabilities to cater for themselves and meet up medical expenses. The group is led by Mr Moses Mbong for Janitorial Service Staff and Mr Samuel Ekpe for Catering workforce. They are here to speak to the press on their plights.’’
‘‘Another case is that of Ekaette Peters, a staffer of Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU) who is one of 279 staffers recruited in 2014 but has not been paid for two years. Her case became worse when she was dismissed in 2020.
‘‘She alleges injustice and lack of adherence to due process in her dismissal and seeks mediation as the case has taken a negative toll on her finances, health and general well-being. Others, according to her, are dying in silence.
‘‘The third case has to do with three out of five academic staff of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, Ikot Ekpene, who allege that they were sacked after serving the institution for 10 years without due process for demanding Harmonization Entitlement. They are not here because we couldn’t establish contact ahead of this press conference.
‘‘Our last humanitarian case present here is the case of Miss Otobong Adolphus Umoh, an orphan, Person Living With Disability (PLWD) who due to circumstances beyond her control dropped out of the University of Uyo as a 400-Level Communication Arts Student of the University of Uyo.
‘‘She was homeless too. Through our advocacy for intervention, a public-spirited Akwa Ibomite, Hon. Idongesit Okoko, the State President, National Council of Women Societies, Akwa Ibom State Chapter took up her case. She was given medical attention to reset her deformed leg, which is much better now. Hon Okoko also secured her a one-room accommodation and periodically assists with upkeep allowance.
‘‘Open Forum also supports with little tokens. What we need now is a job for her so she can fend for herself while we pursue securing amnesty for her from the University of Uyo so she can complete her programme.
”We have helped a number of victims. Some have died. Even some of those that were with me during my May 2023 7-Day Hunger Strike at the entrance of Government House, Uyo demanding justice for myself and others during the administration of Mr Udom Gabriel Emmanuel without response. May their souls rest in peace,’’ the Founder/President of the Forum stated.
The Reformer of the forum, therefore, appealed ‘‘It is our passionate appeal, that considering that over two thousand persons are undergoing tremendous trauma from the case involving ExxonMobil now Seplat Energy Plc, we appeal to His Excellency to kindly apply his compassionate disposition to resolve this case in view of the harsh economic situation facing them.
‘‘As seen in a trending video on social media, some of the female workers involved in the case protested naked in front of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited facilities in Eket without attention.’’
