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Unifoam Debunks Alleged Staff Maltreatment, Warns Against Blackmail

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A company, United Foam Products Limited, has dismissed an online report accusing it of maltreating and enslaving its workers among other allegations.
The firm described the report published on Sahara Reporters as a lie from the pit of hell, saying that a huge number of people including educated, non-educated and artisans have been engaged through its operation spanning four decades in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital alone.
This was contained in a statement issued by Barrister O.T Olorunnisola, an External Solicitor to the company, a copy of which was made available to Journalists in Ilorin, saying that the company prioritizes staff salaries and welfare.
The statement said there was no time the factory enslaved its workforce, pointing out that while they work for seven hours daily, they receive pay above the recommended minimum wage.
It described the report as the handiwork of the blackmailers, who were only out to drag the reputation the company built over the years in the mud and mislead the unsuspecting members of the public.

The statement also debunked the allegation that it bribed the police to arrest any staff with audacity to challenge the management of the company, saying that the reputable company of its nature would not indulge in such an unholy practice.
The statement also said the company enrolled with National Social Industrial Trust Fund (NSITF) on job hazards for contract staff, adding that the company also takes care of any job related accidents.
Contrary to the claim in the report that the company worked during COVID-19 lock down, the statement clarified that it got exemption from the state government to mass produce mattresses for donation in Kwara and Oyo States, just as it added that the company remains the longest surviving private company in the history of Kwara State with minimum of 500 staff strength.
The statement entitled ‘Re: We work like slaves, Nigerian workers in Lebanese company cry out over maltreatment’, read:
“Our attention has been drawn by our client (UNIFOAM)to a report on an online news platform, Sahara Reporters, alleging that client has been enslaving its staff and maltreating them at will among other spurious allegations.
We wouldn’t have dignified the catalogue of unsubstantiated allegations against our client , United Foam Products Limited, which the report identified as Unique Foam( a company which doesn’t exist) with a response but as a responsible and responsive organization, it behoves us to correct the erroneous impression created and set the record straight so as not to mislead the undiscerned.
First, our client has been operating as a company for the past four decades in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital being the Head Office, providing employment opportunities for educated, non-educated and even artisans. This, we believe, has gone a long way in curbing unemployment debacle in our society.

Secondly, our client maintain and sustain corporate and social responsibility and contribute its quota to the development of its host community in the spirit of giving back to the host community as a responsible organization.
Therefore, we want to state it clearly that there was never a time whatsoever that our client maltreated its staff in terms of payment of salaries and other welfare packages. The allegation that staff are paid peanuts is nothing but lie from the pit of hell.
In Unifoam, staff work for seven hours and they are paid more than the recommended minimum wage. This is a verifiable fact. Testimonies are there for people to see except for those who are in the habit of maligning and dragging the name of client in the mud, which obviously the writer is part of.
They also alleged in the report that our client sack staff arbitrarily. This is nothing but a cheap blackmail all in an attempt to portray our client in bad light. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Part of the allegations was that our client bribed the police authority to arrest any staff, who challenged the management on condition of service and welfare. This is another sensation and ploy to malign our client. As a responsible organization, our client has never and would never under whatever guise engage in such an unholy practice.
Our client is enrolled with National Social Industrial Trust Fund (NSITF) on job hazards for contract staff. In spite of that, the company takes care of any job related accidents. Unifoam also has a standard clinic on its premises to handle minor incidences, a facility which most corporate organizations cannot boast of. The company safety and security procedures are industrial standard and we are being regulated by all manufacturing regulatory bodies.
On the allegation that our client worked during COVID-19 lock down, we need to make it abundantly clear that our client was covered under the provider of essential services by Kwara State government to mass produce mattresses for Isolation Centres in Kwara and Oyo States among other states. These were DONATIONS from our client in support of the battle against coronavirus pandemic. We ensured all COVID-19 protocols were and still being observed in the company.
It is imperative to state that in spite of COVID-19 induced lock down, our client continued paying staff salaries in full regardless of whether they were at work or not. It would be recalled that the period under review was when most private companies laid off staff due to their inability to pay salaries.
For the record, United Foam Products Limited remains the longest surviving private company in the history of Kwara State with minimum of 500 staff strength.
We want to therefore urge the public to disregard the erroneous impression created by some faceless people through the unsubstantiated report. Our client is committed to prioritizing welfare of its staff and hold its customers and the general public in high etseem.

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Lagos- Calabar Coastal Project: Peter Obi inciting Igbos against Tinubu Govt

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The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has alleged that Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, is inciting people of the southeast, especially those who are not well informed, against the government.
Umahi claimed that Obi would not fight for the people even after getting them into trouble.
He made the statement on Wednesday while speaking during an event to compensate property owners affected by the Lagos- Calabar coastal road prospect.
The exercise was organized by the Federal Ministry of Work.
The 700-kilometre coastal highway has been enmeshed in controversy following the demolition of Landmark Beach Resort, valued at $200 million, to create a right of way for the project which is estimated to cost the federal government N15 trillion.
After the demolition, a visibly worried Paul Onwuanibe, the Group CEO of Landmark, told BusinessDay that about 70 percent of the beach was destroyed by the government bulldozer, describing the action as “insensitive.”
“What is left of these businesses are the rubbles you can see (in video clips he captured while the demolition was going on). Those are people’s investments and means of livelihood reduced to mere rubbles; so many jobs have been lost and many Nigerian families are in for it,” Onwuanibe said.
On his part, Obi slammed President Bola Tinubu’s administration for going on with the controversial Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project in defiance of public outcry.
The presidential candidate expressed displeasure that the government is embarking on a job-losing project at a time of rampant unemployment.
Obi said it was not too late to discontinue the Lagos-Calabar highway project, adding that urgent necessities are nationwide security, poverty eradication, healthcare, and education, especially for the poor and underprivileged.
He had also described the reported demolition of businesses and residences in the designated right of way for the project as insensitive and heart-wrenching, lamenting that livelihoods were being wiped away, lifetime investments wasted, and jobs disappearing as a result of the demolition.
In a post on his X handle on Tuesday, the former Anambra State governor said: “The outcry against this project has been overwhelming due to the current situation in the country. However, reports as of yesterday indicate that demolition of businesses and residences in the designated right of way for the project has commenced from the Lagos end.
“The sight of this insensitive demolition is heart-wrenching. Livelihoods are being wiped away, lifetime investments are being wasted, and jobs are disappearing as bulldozers roar through. The homes of the elderly are being overturned by the power of bulldozers.
“This hasty flag-off defies the widespread outcry by the public, especially business and property owners directly affected by the project. Nobody knows the outcry that will accompany this project as it progresses towards poor rural landscapes.
“Thousands of jobs are about to be lost, with investments above $200 million at risk. Over 100,000 jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector face imminent extinction, along with 80 small businesses and their 4000 mostly youth employees.”
However, Umahi insisted there was no inhumanity meted to Landmark and that the matter should be buried because he was actively involved.
The former Ebonyi State Governor alleged that Obi goes around to condemn people, thereby bringing judgment upon himself.
He said: “It brings to some of the comments made by my brother, his Excellency Mr Peter Obi, I am not supposed to comment about it because some people have already done the work. And I know what Arise Television brought courtesy of Channels Television, they were bringing similar scenarios when His Excellency Peter Obi was the governor. He made a statement saying ”Any infrastructure that stands in the way of the road must go. And there would be no compensation paid.” That’s what he said.
“But look at me, by the human face of the renewed hope agenda administration, we are even paying for people who are illegally staying on the coastal line, and don’t have valid infrastructure and valid documents. That is mercy, that’s mercy… You know some people darken counsel without knowledge. You know there’s the devil in the details.
“When you condemn people, you bring judgment upon yourself. And that is what he (Obi) has done. And I think he’s inciting some of the south east people that are not well informed. He is inciting them. And gets them into trouble. And he doesn’t go to fight for them. Wisdom is a defence. And I want our people to have wisdom because I am involved.
“There’s is no inhumanity meted to Landmark, that matters should be buried because I was there. And so we fought everything possible. Even some people donated property to save his two big infrastructures. That’s appreciation. But some people have taken sides along with him to play politics.

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Embrace the Tariff Increase or Prepare for Complete Power Outages – Minister of power, Adebayo Adelabu Cautions Nigerians

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The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, issued a caution on Monday, stating that if the planned increase in electricity tariffs is not put into effect, the nation will face a complete power outage within the next three months.

The minister revealed this information yesterday in Abuja during his appearance before the Senate Committee on Power for an inquiry into the recent electricity tariff increase by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory

He said, “The entire sector will be grounded if we don’t increase the tariff. With what we have now in the next three months, the entire country will be in darkness if we don’t increase tariffs.

“The increment will catapult us to the next level. We are also Nigerians, we are also feeling the impact.”

“For this sector to be revived, the government needs to spend nothing less than 10 billion dollars annually in the next 10 years.

Meanwhile, While the minister was at the National Assembly Nepa took the light.

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Man Disappointed Odumeje Failed To Display Famous ‘Power’ At London Meeting

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A UK-Based Nigerian, Agu Chigekwu, identified on Instagram as richjoelng, recently called out popular Nigerian Pastor, Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere, better known as Odumeje, for failing to pray for members of the congregation at a recent event in London.

Chigekwu stated that he attended the event expecting to see Odumeje perform miracles and pray.

He said he was, however, left disappointed after Odumeje only sang and then left without praying for anyone.

He said, “When he came, he was already advertising powers, abidoshaker , citadel, he will release powers and the one he has not touched. Na so people take come o, filled the place . People came out!”

He explained that the programme was scheduled to start at 5:30pm, but Odumeje did not arrive until 10:30 pm and. When he finally came, he started singing, and the audience thought he would begin praying afterward.

” He dey sing o, as he finish singing, people kon think say he go pray, before we knew it, Odumeje don disappear ,” he added.

Chigekwu questioned whether Odumeje was a pastor or an artiste, stating that people came from all over the UK with their sick loved ones in hopes of receiving healing prayers from Odumeje.

He added, ” Odumeje na pastor abi na artist? Is he a performer? So, na performance he come do for us all the way from Nigeria. No be even to pray for people.

“People came all the way from Scotland, Wales, different parts of UK. Some came with their sick ones, old women, for him to pray for healing. Na so Odumeje take do this thing; he no pray for anybody.”

He also stated that some people even paid for front-row seats specifically to get prayed for by Odumeje.

“This guy disappointed me. Thank God, I did not even buy that ticket. People paid £1,000, £500, to stay at the front seat because they needed healing.

“They think say after he don sing, he go pray. Make dem see the powers that this man carry . All those citadel, indaboski bahose , and all those kind of things ,” he added.

In a separate video, Chigekwu clarified that he did not intend to criticise Odumeje but rather wanted to raise concerns about the event.

He said the promoters did not properly inform attendees about the purpose of the event, and he only learned later that Odumeje was actually there for an album launch.

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