Worker electrocuted less than a month after employment

A worker with China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation, identified simply as Effiom, has been electrocuted while working at a site in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.PUNCH METROlearnt that Effiom, a native of Calabar, was working on Friday at Ikot Obio Offong area of Aka-Nung Udoe Road, when the forklift he was using to place slabs on a gutter hit a high tension cable.The forklift was said to have been completely burnt while Effiom also died on the spot.Sources said other workers were asked not to go near the equipment until Power Holding Company of Nigeria switched off power supply and the equipment was towed after Effioms corpse had been removed.A source, who works with the firm but did not wish to be named for fear of being victimised, said Effiom joined the company early this month and only a handful of staff had details about him.Already, Effioms colleagues are accusing the firm of covering up the death.Another employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the firm had a way of covering up their workers deaths, especially those who died on duty.He stated that he was afraid that the firm might give Effioms family only N750,000 for burial without giving further compensation to them.He said, We do not have government in this country. The Chinese would come here, enslave the people and cause the death of both workers and non-workers without adequate compensation. We are poorly paid and live from hand to mouth. There is very little we can do with the money we are being paid.It is time the government of this country respected the rights of every citizen; our right to life, right to healthy living; right to work and right to associate. It is only when the government has done these things that it will keep account of those who are living and those who die and what caused their deaths.The Public Relations Manager of the firm, Mr. Solomon Matthew, who acknowledged the workers death, declined further comment on the incident.He said it was beyond him to make comments on the issue, adding that it was the companys issue.Efforts to get a comment on the death from the Police Public Relations Officer, Akwa Ibom State Command, Mr. Onyeka Orji, also proved abortive.Like the firms PRO, Orji acknowledged the workers death but turned down our correspondents request to make further comment on the issue.
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