The die is cast; the stage is set for a possible showdown between members of the Civil Liberties (CLO) Lagos state branch on one hand and the management of the Dangote Cement Company of Nigeria Plc on the other, over a N50million compensation deal for an accident victim.
Penultimate Thursday, Lagos CLO summoned journalists and told them
point-blank that on January 4, this year, one John Kalensanwo, had a terrible
accident involving his car with a trailer belonging to Dangote Cement trailer,
along Awa-Ijebu road, Ogun State.
According to Comrade Kenny Abiola Bakare, Lagos CLO chairman, the
trailer with the inscription IBESE 2 ICT- 2A- 022, was said to have been
faulty and left on the road without precautionary signs.
This caused the accident in which Kalensanwo sustained various
degrees of injuries, while his vehicle with registration number CD 406 FKJ, got
burnt completely.
Bakare further disclosed that over the months, CLO has
forwarded a letter to the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote,
president/chief executive officer of the Dangote Cement, requesting his
company to pay N10 million as compensation to the victim.
The multi-billionaire was also requested to offset the medical
bills of the victim and foot the bill of travelling abroad for
hip-bone operations.
But, the request met a brickwall and CLO was forced in November
last year to write a reminder to the company, which Bakare said has not been
responded to till date.
His words: “I was unconscious for 48 hours. I found myself at the
State Hospital and later I was transferred to Olabisi Onabanjo University
Teaching Hospital for further treatment. I have laceration and I got burnt from
head to shoulder.
“I also had multiple rib fracture at my acetabulum. As you can
see, I can’t work without the aid of crushes and walking sticks. My doctors
still insist I need to travel abroad to carry out surgery on my pelvic girdle”,
he said
“I initially wrote series of letters to the General Manager of
Dangote Group, Ibese, one Alhaji Biliaminu, without any positive response.
When pestered, he eventually told me point-blank that the Dangote Group
will not attend to accident claims above six months.”
In addition to the N50million compensation for the accident
victim, CLO also demanded that the absconded driver of the Dangote Ibesa
trailer be arrested and prosecuted by the police, while the impounded trailer
should not be released by the police to the company.
The Dangote Cement seems not to be helping matters as one of our
correspondents did not get through to speak with the manager, corporate
communication when he arrived the corporate headquarters of the company
Thursday last week.
The headquarters is located at Dangote Group, Union Marble House, No
1, Alfred Rewane Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. Messages send to the facebook account
of Aliko Dangote as well as Dangote Group last week were not also replied.
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