Contractor Crisis: Verity Rock Ltd. Faces Worker Unrest Over Unpaid Salaries at Dangote Refinery

On Monday, some of the workers physically demanded the balance of their May salaries and their June full unpaid salaries. One of them told the press that they had walked up to the company's chief operating officer (COO), an Indian, for their salaries because they were frustrated.

"Nonso Esotu, the chief executive officer (CEO), has told us repeatedly that no one will be paid until the company finishes up with the project at the refinery," said the contract worker, whose identity is withheld to prevent victimisation.

"We are not the only ones affected. Some administrative staff members are also affected. Everyone is dissatisfied with the attitude of the management toward workers' welfare and salary payments. We don't have any other job. We work here full-day and even beyond the agreed working hours on most days, yet the company is treating us unfairly. How could they tie our salaries to a project deadline?

"For May salaries, we got half payments in the middle of June, after showing them how frustrated we had become. Now, it is already July, and we have not got the other half and the June salaries. We are hungry and frustrated. This has been happening for a long time.

"Currently, we are about 22 workers. But many people have resigned due to salary problems, and they have not been paid. If active workers are uncertain of when to get paid, it means the fate of the former workers is even more uncertain."
'SALARIES WILL BE PAID TODAY'
When contacted, the company's CEO told the press that he was already processing the salary arrears for May and June. He further said that the company prioritised the welfare of its workers.

"We place priority on our workers. The lack of payment is due to a particular money that we are waiting for," Esotu said on Monday.

He confirmed paying half of the workers' May salaries in June.

"These workers did not even work for three good weeks, but they would not tell you that. Notwithstanding, I personally raised money to pay half of the salary and said I would pay the balance at the end of June," he said.

When asked to clarify whether the workers deliberately refused to work for three weeks or if it was the company that failed to assign tasks to them, Esotu blamed it on their supervisor.

"It was Henry's fault, their supervisor," he said. "He was supposed to tell them to stay off work because there was nothing to work on, but he did not do so. So the workers kept coming and signing in. Once they have signed in, we have to pay them. But I assure you that the arrears for May and June salaries will be paid in the next two hours. We are already working on that."

However, source said it was untrue that workers did not work for three weeks.

"There was no day we did no work," he said. "If there is no work on site, nobody comes to work. That claim is an attempt to justify the mistreatment they are causing us."

Back in August 2023, FIJ reported how the same company failed to pay its workers for two months. These workers revealed that they often protested and expressed their frustration before getting paid.

Days after the report, the company paid the salaries.

FIJ