CLOs Chairman Warns Against Anarchy, Calls for Massive Probe of Workplace Extortion, Intimidation of Bonny Indigenes

With the spate of revelations on incidences of intimidation, extortion, harassment and other workplaces anomalies, the Chairman of the Community Liaison Officers in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, Charles Tolofari has warned that if this menace is not checkmated it may result into anarchy.

Tolofari gave this warning on Saturday, March 2, 2024 in a telephone interview with Kristina Reports in Bonny, Rivers State.

He made a frantic call on the security agencies, the management of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) and its contractors, among other critical stakeholders to probe the various allegations of workplace mistreatment in Bonny.

“The Nigeria Police, the management of NLNG and other companies, the CLOs of the various companies and the general public, the Bonny Youth Federation and the Finima Youth Congress, in particular, should take adequate measures to curb this problem.”

“Otherwise the rate of intimidation, victimisation, oppression and marginalization by some company supervisors and coordinators that are not Bonny people on Bonny workers and Bonny people in their own Kingdom is too enormous.”

“If this matter is not properly handled you may start hearing news of unexpected injuries, sack or even death of Bonny people. I am suggesting that this matter should not be swept aside but properly followed to the fullest justice.”

He asserted that the probe should look beyond the rebuttals by incidented company officials, maintaining in their rebuttals they will not be truthful, stressing that he has personally witnessed some of these incidents but efforts to sanction the erring officials were futile.

“None of the persons victimizing them will ever say the truth. There is no single truth in their mouth. They are bent on oppressing Bonny people and some of them are very diabolic.”

“I have personally witnessed some of these things and the whole efforts we made to see that the people doing these are punished did not succeed.”

He particularly charged the NLNG to rise to its avowed stance against workplaces harassment, intimidation, extortion and other ills, stressing that the situation was becoming unbearable and has the potential of triggering unfortunate outcomes that may violent dimensions.

“NLNG does not support things like this and it is high time they look into what the companies working for them are doing. They need to stand by their policy against these kinds of things and sanction those doing them.”

Recall that Kristina Reports had weeks ago reported complaints from some workers on the NLNG Train 7 project alleging extortion intimidation, harassment and ethnic profiling by some companies and their managerial staff against indigenes of Bonny LGA, hosts to the multinationals.

Specific calls have been made to the management of First Marine and Engineering Services Limited, Candix Engineering Nigeria Limited, Daewoo Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited, Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited, among others to look into how workers, especially, indigenes of Bonny LGA are being treated within their corporate space.

Anonymous sources within the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) have hinted Kristina Reports that its management has swung into action to investigate the allegations being made by the aggrieved workers.

Expectations are high in anticipation of the outcome of such investigation, given that the NLNG has always averred that it stands against workplace ills such as harassment, intimidation, extortion and hostile posture against its host communities.