By Bon Peters
Indorama Petrochemicals Limited, Eleme, Rivers state, says its commitment to workplace safety is unwavering.
The company’s Head of Corporate Communications, Mr Jossy Nkwocha, said this at a media briefing to refute an alleged negligence by an injured site worker of one of its contractors, Mr David Diepreye.
It was gathered that the accident victim was working for a service contractor to Indorama Fertilizer Limited, SPEO Nigeria Limited when the unfortunate incident occurred.
Mr Nkwocha admitted that an accident had occurred on December 23, 2020, involving Mr Diepreye, a masher employed by SPEO and deployed to the Indorama loading bay.
He said the victim during the accident sustained an injury on both legs, noting that Indorama was the first responder to the incident and administered necessary first aid to the victim at the company’s clinic from where he was transferred to Rehoboth Medical Hospital, an SPEO retainer hospital, where he was given orthopaedic treatment.
Mr Nkwocha added that at the time of the accident, SPEO was not registered with the National Social Insurance Trust Fund and as such was not covered by the Employee Compensation Act which also deprived the victim from accessing accruable benefits of workplace accidents.
“Consequently, on compassionate grounds, Indorama took over the victim’s medical bills and also ensured that he remained on its payroll till date, his salary has been paid up to date, he told journalists.
The company’s image maker explained that the victim continued taking treatment as an outpatient after over two years of receiving corrective surgery cosponsored by his direct employer (SPEO) and Indorama.
Speaking further, Mr Nkwocha said the victim instituted a lawsuit against SPEO and Indorama, demanding further medical attention valued at N8 million and a N500,000 legal fee.
He stated that further investigation with the claimant’s lawyer, SPEO and the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), which was expected to handle the corrective surgery, revealed that the cost of the surgery was N1.9 million.
He alleged that Mr Diepreye, dissatisfied with the process chosen for his surgery, resorted to maligning Indorama’s reputation despite not being a direct employee of the firm.
He said the company is shocked over the attempt by the victim to extort Indorama using the industrial court, praying the court to compel SPEO and Indorama to pay a compensation of N12 million out of court settlement.
