Dare Babalola
The House of Representatives on Wednesday announced that it has commenced a probe of the activities that led to the abandonment and ill treatment of some Nigerian workers in the Central African Republic.
In a statement by Jaafaru Yakubu, the Chairman, Committee on China-Nigeria Parliamentary Relations expressed concern over the situation.
He said, “The committee regrets the unfortunate situation the Nigerian workers are being subjected to in CAR and assures them that a comprehensive investigation is currently ongoing to unravel the circumstances that led to their ordeal.”
Yakubu further vowed that the role one Abdulrauf Ademola played in allegedly tricking the workers to the country would be addressed.
He noted that the businessman denied all allegations levelled against him, while also appealing that Nigerians should not associate Ademola’s alleged actions with legitimate Chinese businesses operating in Nigeria.
The statement read, “It is also important to state that Abdulrauf Ademola, the businessman who allegedly abandoned the Nigerians in CAR, had issued a statement refuting the allegations made by the workers who accused him of passport seizure, unpaid salaries, and abandonment in the widely circulated video.
“The committee wishes to inform the general public that Abdulrauf Ademola is not affiliated with the Chinese Embassy or the China General Chamber of Commerce, and his actions or inactions should not be linked to the embassy or Chinese enterprises doing their legitimate businesses in Nigeria.”
Recall that some miners, in a viral video that surfaced online last Thursday had claimed they were recruited by a Chinese mining company but were later abandoned in CAR.
They also alleged that their passports were confiscated, and they were subjected to inhumane treatment.
The workers appealed to Nigerians to amplify their message and draw attention to their situation.
They said they were stranded in Senye, a village in the Bambari region of CAR.
