By Amaechi Okwara
Three workers of Constructed Contractors Company (CCC) were yesterday feared dead at a fly-over site in Asaba, Delta state.
The incident took place at about 11.30 a.m. at the popular Inter Bau roundabout in Asaba where they were constructing the fly-over.
The victims were digging a hole for concrete pillars for the fly-over project.
The state government had last year awarded the construction of Asaba and Warri fly-overs at the cost of N8 billion to ease the traffic problem.
The sand almost buried the victims alive before their co-workers rushed to the scene and rescued them.
It was gathered that the victims were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, by men of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).
According to one of the workers, “The victims are in the state of coma as I am talking to you now, and nobody knows if they will survive the accident“.
The incident immediately sparked off protests between the workers and the management of the company as workers massively left the project site in order to show solidarity for what had happened to their colleagues.
The workers said a lot of things had been happening against them because of negligence on the part of the management of the company.
They said: “Recently, two workers – a security man and one of the workers – died and the management bluntly refused to attend their burial ceremonies. Also, a sledge hammer fell on one of our colleagues and no treatment was provided for him. In fact, we are being treated with levity.”
The workers said the management was always infringing on their rights “ecause we don’t we have a union.”
The Administration Manager of CCC, Mr. Diran, who came to address the workers after the incident, compelled the staff to go back to the site since the victims had been taken to the hospital.
When journalists approached Diran shortly after addressing the workers, he simply said, “ I am only here to address the workers and not journalists. I don’t have your time please. I am going back to the office.”
