I met with Ernest Friday on the recommendation of Idede Osesky Oseyande. We discussed Ernest’s affair while he was in a coma at Irua Teaching Hospital (ISTH). Ernest was an artisan with one of the leading construction companies in Niger Delta. He worked in a tunnel feeder that had no emergency button. He had a duty to poke rock stuck to enable the feeder to work smoothly.
On a faithful day in June 2018, the machine jammed, as usual, he deployed the rod and his arm above the biceps was severed from his body. His disability is tied to the non-automation of the crushing plant as against the provision of relevant mining legislation in Nigeria.
The company paid his health bills and also paid his three months’ salary of NGN 20,000 before they stopped indefinitely. We, therefore, filed a suit against the company for negligence for failure to automate the site. The company sought the service of a reputable firm and the lawyer of the company called for an out-of-court settlement.
After several meetings and consultations, Ernest was given six digits as compensation. This brought to close an action of industrial negligence filed in 2019. The light of this story is that the mother who had never reached out to me throughout the duration of this case on receipt of the compensation decided to have a word with me. She said “Thank you Sir. You did not connive with the company against us. You will never have an accident in Jesus’ name”, I said ‘’AMEN’’.
I am not interested in her connivance theory, here is an invitation to a Valley of the Shadow of Safety. I was called into it by strategic Community support. I like the prayer of the stand-by mum because there is financial accident, there is professional accident and there is marital accident. Her prayers meant that I AM EXENORATED from them ALL!