Nasiru Yusuf

The Federal Ministry of Labor and Productivity has criticized the Nigerian police for rescuing hundreds of workers detained in a Kano rice mill.

Kano Focus reports that the police had rescued the workers after they had been detained in the Popular Farms rice mill at Challawa, Kano for about three months.

However, labor officer in the Kano office of the ministry, Abdullahi Ali told Kano Focus that the issue was not a police matter and that the company had treated the workers fairly.

Police rescue over 300 workers detained for 3 months in rice mill

“We visited the organization, we were conducted round, we interviewed workers and they confirmed to us that they were held in the company willingly.

“As far as we saw with our own eyes, the workers were treated well by the management.

“They were given feeding allowance, and even allowed to periodically visit their homes.” Mr Ali said.

The labor officer added that if the workers had any complaints they should report to the ministry of labor rather than the Nigerian Police.

“In the first place, an employment issue is not a police case.

“If there is any case of forced, compulsory or slave labor, the ministry of labor’s attention should have been drawn, and every agency has its own role to play.

Abdullahi Ali: Labor Officer

“As far as industrial issues are concerned, we have sole prerogative. “We are on exclusive legislative list of the federal government so when you have industrial issues you address it appropriately and rightly to the labor office and we can assign a labor officer to go and address it.

“We did not received such complaint; we only heard of it over the radio,” Mr Ali said.

The Kano Command of the Nigeria Police is yet to respond to this statement.

The labour officer also denied accusations by the National Union of Food,  Beverages and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) that he has connived with the company’s management to sabotage the inauguration of the union’s branch.

Union alleges “Compromise”

Kano state secretary of the NUFBTE, Usman Muhammad told Kano Focus that Mr Aliyu had been “compromised” by the company.

“There was a time we visited the factory along with the labour officer, the national president of the National union of food,  beverages, and tobacco employees, his deputy, general secretary, national treasurer and state leadership but the admin manager denied us entry.

“The labour officer’s approach to the matter showed that he has been compromised.

“Instead of taking decisive action, I overheard him pleading to the admin manager to allow us to enter.

“If he has done his work, the factory will not dare to maltreat workers,” Mr Muhammad said.

He said the union will prepare and send a comprehensive report on the incident to the Kano state branch of the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) for prompt intervention.

Influential people connive with foreigners

Meanwhile, Kano state chairman of the NLC, Kabiru Ado Minjibir has condemned the action of the company pending the receipt of the  report from the NUFBTE.

Mr Minjibir lamented that some Nigerians connive with foreigners to maltreat indigenous workers.

“Some influential people in Kano have contributed in degrading indigenous workers in the sight of expatriates.

“The last time labour leaders visited the said factory to inaugurate union leaders, they met resistance from management of the factory who at the end invited police to arrest the labour leaders.

“But if the matter involved indigenous factories, they don’t get such privileges.

“I don’t know why our leaders support foreigners to enslave our people in their factories.” Mr Minjibir said.

Detained workers not our staff

In its defense, Popular Farm Rice Mill said the labourers are not its employees and it is therefore not responsible for their welfare.

The administrative manager of the company, Kareem Saka told Kano Focus that the labourers are sourced from outside contractors.

“They are not our staff; we contracted loading and offloading contractors who hired those labourers.

“They had an agreement which they are paying them on daily basis. “And out of our own magnanimity we didn’t stop there, we still provided them with allowances, detergents, medical service and so on and so forth.” Mr. Saka said.

He added that the company provided a sleeping place for the workers in its farmland because they live far away from their homes.

Mr Saka however denied any knowledge that the workers were not allowed to go out at all.

“Our agreement is only with the contractors and not with their staff. “They are the ones who discussed with their labourers and agreed on their terms of employment,” he said.

Kano Focus had made several attempts to get the Kano state Ministry of Commerce and Industry to respond to the matter.

However, after several phone calls and text messages to the Ministry’s spokesperson, the commissioner Mahmoud Muhammad is yet to respond.