The search for justice by the National Plant Operators, (NAPO), an association with thousands of workers may have been foiled as the House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Public Petitions in the 9th National Assembly Hon. Jerry Alagbaoso turned the clear case of injustice, inhumane treatment, torture against the association that petitioned the Committee.
In the realisation that the petitioner – NAPO, represented by its National President General, Comrade Harold I. Benstowe was fully ready with evidence of torture and brutality of plant workers, the Committee Chairman drove journalists out of the public hearing hall and banned participants from recording proceedings.
The action of Hon. Jerry Alagbaoso was clearly in breach of the Freedom of Information Act and against parliamentary rules under the leadership of Hon Femi Gbajabiamila as public hearing are fully opened to the press, particularly the issue that bothered on brutality of citizens by Military personnel on the order of DAEWOO, a foreign company of Korea origin operating in Nigeria.
The Reps Committee met on 4th, 16th and 24th May, 2023 and each day of sitting the press would always pick interest as the petition which was listed as No. 615/2023 was being entertaimed.
On 24th May, the Arise TV, CAPITAL POST and other Media Houses seeking to cover the hearing on that Wednesday at the resumption of the hearing of the petition of the National Association of Plant Operators, NAPO against the use of the Nigeria Army, Nigeria Police, the Department of State Security Services SSS and other security agencies by the multinational corporations that are both local and foreign to harass intimidate and torture Nigerian Construction and Maintenance Workers that are members of NAPO in the workplace were chased out.
He queried the Arise a Television Camera man and accuse him of invading his Committee without his authorisation.
This is despite that the Arise TV reporter who was identified as Mr. Tunji informed the Chairman that he is the reporter from Arise TV and has been covering for the House of Representatives.
Hon. Alagbaoso was still demanding from them to explain who invited them to cover the hearing of the Association, NAPO’s petition. When the Arise TV reporter, insisted, “that they only heard about the matter after the last adjournment and decided to follow up”, that was when the Cameraman was allowed to go.
The development was contrary to the previous sitting where he assured the audience that the proceedings would be covered by journalists at the next adjourned date 24/5/2023.
The proceeding was on 24th May, 2023 covered by CAPITAL POST’s undercover reporter.
CAPITAL POST reports that after the second hearing being 16th May, 2023, when the NAPO President General made his oral submission with facts to the Committee, the Chairman directed representatives of DAEWOO and SAIPEN, a Japanese firm operating in Bonny, Portharcourt to see him for a close door meeting without the petitioner participating in that meeting.
From the close door meeting, it became pretty difficult for the Committee Chairman to reason into the petition with evidences of torture of NAPO members which pictures were already attached to the petition.
After the meeting the stage was set up for a hectic and aggressive bombardment from both the Defendant Respondent and the Chairman of the Committee Hon. Jerry Alagbaoso who was visibly looking for the slightest ground to throw away the petition of NAPO.
Alagbaoso who was handling the case alone without other ten members of the Committee didn’t consider merits in the petition, but told Comrade Benstowe that, “It’s not everything you say, but tell DAEWOO to find you small, small things…”
This is not withstanding the fact that DAEWOO that appear in the Committee came with a fake Magistrate Court documents purported to have been filed for the criminal trial of NAPO leader.
Investigation carried out in the Court Registry in Rivers State reveal that the said Court motion wasn’t properly filed, was forged in a quick manner to stall the then ongoing public hearing at the House of Representatives in guise that the matter is pending in Court.
Neither the Chairman bothered to know or carry out investigation of the Magistrate Court motion DAEWOO Representative paraded.
Reactingvtonan interview on the development Benstowe said: “With this available information, we are of the view that, that closed door meeting with the two multinational giant companies without the petitioner, the Association NAPO affected negatively the biased position taking by Hon. Jerry Alagbaoso, Chairman of the Committee on Public Petitions in the House of Rep’s against the petitioner – Association NAPO, that was the cogent reason Hon. Jerry Alagbaoso a season journalist who knows better the power of the Media to chase away the Media houses but couldn’t identify the reporter from CAPITAL POST that sneaked into the Committee room to monitor the hearing.
“The defense of my petition to scale through three (3) issues raised jointly by both SAIPEN Contracting Nigeria & Daewoo Engineering & Construction Nigeria limited defense from the Contractor’s of the ongoing Nigeria LNG Train 7 Gas Plant Construction Project in Bonny LGA of Rivers State, Nigeria.
“And the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment that raises 1 other issue that the Association NAPO is not a registered Trade Union.
“Hon. Jerry Alagbaoso himself the Chairman House of Reps Committee on Public Petitions started by confronting me to first of all state my locus standi and explain mur own position in the matter which is arguably must have been among issues raised jointly by both SAIPEN and Daewoo in the close door meeting with the Chairman to throw away the petition of the Association.
“We have exhibit letters from the members of NAPO in the employ of Daewoo signed by over 800 staff requesting for the Association, NAPO to come and unionize their members in the employ of Daewoo in the said Nigeria LNG project.
“And after perusing the letter to acertain its authenticity Hon. Jerry Alagbaoso admitted the letter as a document speaking to justify the representation of the staff’ of the company.
“And the Hon. Chairman Jerry Alagbaoso then asked Daewoo and SAIPEN to proceed with other issues.
On submission of DAEWOO and SAIPEN he said:
“The lawyer for the both Companies raised the second issue that the Association NAPO is not a registered Trade Union in Nigeria while citing a letter of reply written by the Registrar of Trade Union for the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
“And he went further to point a communique jointly signed by the Representatives of NLC, TUC and their affiliates the Civil Construction Engineering Senior Staff’s Association (CCESSA) and the National Union of Civil Engineering Construction Furniture & Wood Workers (NUCECFWW) that declared the Association NAPO activities as illegal for leading the said industrial action. And further state that their workers are already unionized by NUCECFWW for junior worker’s & CCESSA for senior staff.”
