By – Lawal Sale
Nigerian businessman Abdulrauf Ademola has responded to allegations made by six Nigerian workers in the Central African Republic (CAR), who accused him of passport seizure, unpaid salaries, and abandonment in a widely circulated video.
In a statement made available to newsmen Saturday, Ademola refuted the claims, describing them as exaggerated and misleading.
Ademola clarified that the workers’ passports were not confiscated but were being processed for work permit extensions in Bangui. “This is the second time we are extending their permits because I want to ensure all our workers have legal status,” he said. “Nobody seized their passports at all.”
Addressing claims that the workers were abandoned at the mining site, he explained that operations were scaled down due to the rainy season.
“There are still 10 Nigerian workers and about 40 Central African employees with security on-site. A Chinese mechanic recently left, but workers are being rotated off duty gradually. Is this abandonment? Maybe I missed a call, but we did not desert anyone”, he said.
The workers had alleged they were owed 10 months’ salary, but Ademola countered that they had only been in CAR for five months, including time spent in the capital, Bangui.
He said: “They were paid allowances while in Bangui and received above-average wages once on-site, including food provisions. The dispute arose because I delayed two months’ pay due to bad weather and some workers’ misconduct.
“We were discussing adjustments, which likely triggered their social media outcry.”
Ademola insisted his account was backed by documentation and said he had informed the Nigerian Embassy in CAR to investigate.
“I have legal evidence for all my claims.This is an internal company matter, not a diplomatic crisis”, he explained.
He urged media outlets to avoid sensationalising the issue. “I appeal to journalists not to exploit this situation to create tension between Nigeria and CAR,” Ademola said. “We are peaceful Nigerians resolving a workplace disagreement.”
The Nigerian Embassy in CAR has yet to issue a statement on the matter.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) says it is making arrangements to repatriate those involved back to Nigeria.
In a statement at the weekend, it says “The attention of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has been drawn to the distress call in a viral video where some Nigerians were allegedly maltreated in the Central African Republic (CAR).
“The Commission has contacted officials of the Embassy in the CAR to look into the matter.
“It is gratifying to inform members of the public that contact has been established with them, their seized passports retrieved, while plans are on to send a bus to convey them to the embassy in Bangui, which is at least an eight-hour drive,” the statement read.
— Lawal Sale is Global South Affairs Analyst
