Edo State Governor,Senator Monday Okpebholo has tasked the management of Rongtai Building Materials Nigeria Ltd. on strengthening its safety measures to protect the lives of its staff and workers.
The governor gave the charge, during a visit to the company’s premises in Utesi, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of the state, commended its investment in Edo and urged the management to remain committed to its corporate social responsibility to the host community.
Recall that a total of five workers had died in the company last month, with others reportedly dying from electrocution and falling off a crane.
The crisis that broke out led workers, relatives and some community youths razing a section of the firm, including over 20 vehicles and motorcycles, following the death of a forklift operator.
Governor Okpebholo while condemning the attack on Rongtai company,said an establishment of this nature should not be attacked.
Okpebholo also called on Rongtai to value the lives of their workers as the protest was triggered by the anger over the death of a young man who was a member of staff of their company.
The governor expressed satisfaction that the company was already building a clinic,
but reiterated that If they had a medical facility in the first place several deaths that occurred in their premise could have been avoided.
He also called on the Rongtai Building Materials Nigeria Ltd to fix the bad roads leading to their factory as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to their host Utesi community.
Speaking on behalf of the company, Huang Shibin commended the governor for visiting the facility to obtain first-hand information about the incident.
He said the organisation had been fulfilling its corporate social responsibility but alleged that some elders in the community had received large sums of money from the company without allowing the benefits to reach other members of the community.
Huang appealed to the governor to help improve security around the company and create a friendly and conducive environment for the business to thrive.
Top government officials who accompanied Governor Okpebholo to the meeting with the management of Rongtai Building Materials Nigeria Ltd. included
Commissioner for Public Safety and Security Festus Ebea, Commissioner for Labour and Productivity Godwin Eshieshi,
Edo State Commissioner of Police Patrick Daaor
and Edo State Deputy Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Sylvester Aigboboh, among others.