No fewer than nine ex-employees of Integrated Logistic Services (INTELS) Nigeria Limited have tragically passed away while awaiting the payment of their terminal and other benefits. Reports indicate that numerous other affected former staff are battling critical health conditions without the financial means to seek medical care.
The deceased include Rhoda Oberueuria, Austine Okunsaye, Friday Ikwut, Nwabueze Okocha, Kennedy James, Wisdom Mbakanawo, Timothy Lucky, Gumikup Friday, and Andrew Ikpate. Others like Iyara Best Oghenewede, Vincent Adolphus, and Gogo Dagogo Ngeribara are in dire health due to their inability to afford treatment.
Between 2020 and 2021, over 624 employees were disengaged by INTELS and its partner, Associated Maritime Services (AMS) Limited, without receiving their entitlements. The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), representing the affected workers, sought intervention from the Ministry of Labour and Employment. After failed reconciliation efforts, the matter was referred to the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP), which ruled in 2021 that INTELS and AMS must pay the workers’ full entitlements.
While AMS partially complied by compensating its 34 permanent staff, it refused to extend similar payments to the 599 contract workers affected by the redundancy exercise. The IAP directed that a sum of ₦300,000 per year of service be used to calculate gratuities for workers with five or more years of service.
INTELS contested this ruling, and the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) upheld the workers’ rights but mandated negotiations between INTELS, AMS, and MWUN to finalize payment terms. However, INTELS reportedly refused to engage in negotiations, opting instead to file appeals, which have since been struck down by the courts.
In response, MWUN has renewed its call for dialogue, sending a petition to INTELS’ Managing Director. In a letter dated November 20, 2024, MWUN proposed a meeting on December 6, urging the company to prioritize resolving the matter. The letter emphasized the union’s commitment to due process and collaboration, while also reminding INTELS of its obligation to uphold workers’ rights and welfare under the law.
With nine lives already lost and others hanging in the balance, the union has stressed the urgency of a resolution to alleviate the suffering of the former employees and prevent further tragedies.
