Rivers PDP Chairman, Felix Obuah Slams Gov Amaechi’s Plot To Sack Workers, Sell Off PH Flour Mills Limited
The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has again uncovered another plot by the outgoing Gov Rotimi Amaechi to sell off State owned public facilities and business ventures before leaving office on May 29.
The PDP chairman, Bro Felix Obuah is alarmed over the party’s latest discovery of the almost concluded arrangement by the outgoing governor to deprive Rivers people of their ownership status of the Port Harcourt Flour Mills Limited, by selling off the company to Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC, Apapa, producers of Golden Penny..
Information available to the PDP indicates that while Rivers State Government owns 55% of the Port Harcourt Flour Mills Limited, Bayelsa State Government controls 45% shares.
With the latest arrangement between Gov Amaechi and management of Nigeria Flour Mills, producers of Golden Penny, Rivers State Government has opted to relinquish its entire 55% share to the private company with some benefits of the arrangement to be remitted to the private account of the out-going Governor (Amaechi).
To execute this plot, the current management of the PH Flour Mills Limited has placed all the workers on redundancy, starting from May 2015, giving spurious claim that the company is no longer viable and cannot meet up its financial obligations.
The Party’s position is further corroborated by a Save Our Soul (SOS) letter dated April 22, 2015, sent by staff of the company, denying such unfounded claim by the Rivers State Government under the guise of the company’s management.
The Staff under the umbrellas of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) and the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), had in their protest letter disclosed some deliberate management decisions aimed at creating the impression that the company was no longer viable, which led them to force the workers to proceed on compulsory Leave from March 23 – April 13, 2015, with an assurance that full operations will commence on a joint return from the said Leave.
It was disheartening that on return from the questionable Leave, the workers were asked to collect their redundancy payment, following the claimed depreciation in the company’s carrying-capacity.
The staff had therefore, in the said SOS, stated that following series of such antics going on in the company, “It is the union’s opinion that management of the company has concluded plans with Rivers State Government to acquire the company before the end of the tenure of the out-going administration in the State’’.
It is therefore, in view of this development and our experience in several others cases, including the ongoing massive looting of government facilities and enterprises in the State, that the Peoples Democratic Party calls on the general public, the security agencies, and other government relevant authorities to come to the rescue of the State by prevailing on Governor Amaechi to discontinue mortgaging the people and institutions of the State to his cronies and private organizations.
The Rivers PDP Chairman, Bro Felix Obuah strongly condemns the undue treatment and abuse of rights of the affected workers of the Port Harcourt Flour Mills Limited and calls for a reversal of such draconian policy in the company.
Signed:
Jerry Needam
Special Adviser on Media to
State PDP Chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah
Friday, May 8, 2015