Shoprite protests: Police deploy personnel to Ilorin branch

Date: 2021-04-04

By NAN

The Kwara command of the Nigeria Police Force has deployed some of its personnel to the Ilorin branch of Shoprite, a South African store operating across cities, over continued protests by staff of the grocery shop.

A Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who visited the Kwara Mall, housing the store along Fate Road, Ilorin, reports that there was heavy presence of armed police personnel at the edifice amidst shutdown of operations by the staff.

One of the staff, who spoke on condition of anonymity, vowed that the protest would continue until their demands were met by the South African company.

The Shoprite staff told NAN that they received an internal memo informing them that the South African company has outrightly sold its write to a Nigerian investor.

"When we were told that the company had been sold and that they sold us with the company, we rejected this approach and asked them to pay us off before the take over is completed.

"They dragged us to labour and we signed an agreement, that on or before March 31, they should agree with the staff or they must not handover.

"Now, they want to use the police to intimidate us, so as to allow them to trade, that cannot be done," the Shoprite staff said.

He explained that they were asking to be paid off because since Shoprite came to Nigeria in 2005, they have been working for the company.

"Some of us have been working since 15 to 10 years with the company, they can't just sell us like that, if the new investor wants to absolve us, they should employ us back.

"They stood that they won't pay us a damn, they said if we refuse to work, they will recruit another staff, South Africa is intimidating us in their country and here in Nigeria again," he added.

He explained that the staff want the South African company to be done with them before they finally handover to the new investors.

"With the contract I signed with Shoprite, I am supposed to retire with them in 2049, I still have about 20 or more years and now you are saying you sold me to someone," he said.

He however said they were yet to meet with the new owners, explaining in clear terms that they don't even know their identity.

The Shoprite staff revealed that the memo they got was that the company has been sold 100 per cent.

The aggrieved staff explained that the handing over was scheduled for April 1, but could not be done because the company failed to keep to their promises.

He said information available to them was that by 9 a.m on Saturday, the police should find a way to allow operations to take place at the store.

NAN reports that the staff carried placards with different inscription asking the company to pay them off while another read "We are not slaves" as they use crane to block the entrance of the store with all the doors shut.

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Bolaji Gambari     Abdullahi Adisa Akodudu     Code Of Conduct Tribunal     Ilofa     Yomi Adeboye     Yaman     Col. Adedipe     Ahmed Shuaib Buranga     Aliyu Olatunji Ajanaku     Segun Abifarin     SARS     C2c@kwarastate.gov.ng     Joseph Yemi Ajayi     Temitope Ogunbanke     Summit University     Shoprite     Amasa     Clara Nwachukwu     Muhammadu Buhari     Savannah Centre For Diplomacy, Democracy And Development     Gbadeyan Gbadura Yomi     Just Law Forum     Bayo Onimago     Aso-ofi     Special Agro-Industrial Hub     Adekunle David Dunmade     Alaiye     Muhammed Abdullahi     Kaiama     Akorede     Aliyu Kora-Sabi     Owo Arugbo     Sadiq Buhari     Galland Marcias     Dairo Kunle Paul     Usman Rifun     Sidikat Uthman Ajibola     Yusuf Badmus     Centre For Community Empowerment And Poverty Eradication     Salman Alada     Sa\'ad Alanamu     Abdulahi Abubakar Bata     Split Diamond Interchange     Tope Daramola     Amuda Aluko     Aisha Abodunrin Ibrahim     Okin Biscuit     Wole Oke     Sunday Popo-Ola     Samuel Adedoyin     Tuesday Assayomo     Abdulrahman Iliasu     International Public Sector Accounting Standards     Ayodele Shittu     Pakata     Shuaib Boni Aliyu     Rebecca Bake     Abdulmajeed Abdullahi     Agboola Babatunde     Adamu B. Yaqubu     Mohammed Khadijat Kubura     Baboko Primary School     Nigeria Customs Service     Abdulwaheed Musa     Oniwasi Agbaye     Idris Garba     Abdulrazaq Akorede     NaAllah     MMWG     Oke-Odo     Firdaos Amasa     Oluwatoyin Lukman     Muftau Akanbi Oke     GAMA     Lafiagi     New Nigeria People’s Party     Ajase-Ipo    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants     Shehu Raheem Adaramaja     CT Ayeni     Lukman Oyebanji Fagbemi     SARS     Suleiman Abubakar     Idris Amosa Saidu     Matthew Babaoye     VADA     Towobola Abdulrahman Toyin     Ajasse-Ipo     Kamaldeen Kehinde     Rotimi Atere     Ramat Oganija     Illyasu Abdullahi     Kwara Central     Oko-Erin     Muslim Media Watch Group Of Nigeria     Ajikobi     Suleiman Rotimi Iliasu     Yusuf Ibitokun Sherifat     Olatomiwa Williams     Congress For National Consensus     Rebecca Olanrewaju     Lawal Jimoh     Law School Scholarship     CKNG     Kwara TV     Isiaka Gold     Abdulhakeem Adelaja Amao     Sulyman Abdulkareem     Muhammed Aliyu     Agor Market     Kpotum Mohammed Baba     Ibrahim Oniye     Kunbi Titiloye     Eghe Igbinehi     Economic And Financial Crimes Commission     Apaola     Valsolar     Musa Ayinla Yeketi     Kale Kawu     Omar Gambari     Mujtabah Bature     Lithium     Lai Gobir     High Court     Kwara State Sports Commission     PAACO-PCL Consortium     Javed Khan     Mohammed Kamaludeen     Funmilayo Zubair     Baba Issa Awoye     Kassim Babamale     Wole Oke     Ileloke     University Road     Chartered Institute Of Personnel Management Of Nigeria     Abdulhakeem Amao     Mukhtar Shagaya     Forgo Battery     Umar Ahmed Gunu     Arca Santa     Vasolar     Mary Kemi Adeosun     AGILE Programme     Kwara Poly     Rafiu Ajakaye     Abatemi Usman     Saliu Mustapha     Umar Danladi Shero     Otunba Taiwo Joseph     Ilorin Central Mosque     Hydro-electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission     Aso-ofi     Ubandawaki     Ilorin East