A ceramics company, BN Ceramic Industry Nigeria Limited based in Ajaokuta, Kogi state, has said despite incessant harassment and extortion by some youth, it will never compromise on giving top priority to the welfare of every cadre of its workforce.
The company also reiterated its vow to always accord due respect and provide succour to its host communities by providing employment opportunities to the youth.
Speaking with newsmen in Abuja shortly after some youth allegedly invaded the company premises and destroyed property worth millions of naira, Human Resources Manager of the company Mallam Saliu Mohammed said the management was shocked by the invasion.
According to him, the youth under the auspices of Pan African Youths Development Network allegedly accompanied by armed policemen and soldiers invaded the premises of the company and threatened to deal with the management unless N10 million was given to them.
He disclosed that the youth group which allegedly demanded for a bus and certain amount of money to be paid to them from the company’s monthly profit, also incited the workers against the management which according to him led to the shutdown of the company.
“BN ceramic provides employment to over 1,000 youths and pays all local government, states and federal government taxes and levies; if they shut us down what would happen to the teeming youths working here?
“This kind of blackmail and intimidation will only scare away foreign investors from the country,” he said.
Mohammed stated that the youth group capitalised on the accident that occurred outside the premises of the company involving a Volkswagen saloon Golf car and the company bus where two of its staff lost their lives with the allegations that the management was not responsive enough.
The human resources manager who was flanked by the Marketing Development Manager, Mr James Bright and Sales Manager, Mr Mike Tamir, said there was practically nothing the company could have done to stop an accident that occurred several kilometres away from the company premises involving another careless commuter.
