The DO for Ekondo Titi Subdivision, Abeloa Timothe, has assured the GM and Pamol staff to resume work, that the administration and forces of law and order are ready to protect them and state property.
He gave the assurance on Tuesday April 23, 2019 during a consultative meeting he had with Pamol staff at Lobe Estate Kokundu Club. Abeloa Timothe appreciated the few staff who have been braving the odds and working without salary for over a year.
The DO regretted that, the company has not been in production for over a year now and children are not going to school, business places deserted, hospitals and Churches welcome only few patients and Christians.
“Pamol belongs to the state, and is not a single property to an individual or group of persons. It is not obligatory for Pamol to pay you for the period you were not working according to the labour code” Abeloa Timothe said.
He enjoined the staff to combat separatist’s threats and collaborate with the forces of law and order so that everything can become normal again.
“Some ran because of ransom; in Ngole women planted corn, but others harvest them, I will endeavour to see that, life comes back in Lobe Estate”, Abeloa Timothe vowed.
Welcoming the DO and his entourage, the GM of Pamol, HRH Chief Charles Mekanya Okon appreciated the administrator and his team for putting in place security to secure the entire Estate in his absence.
Chief Charles Mekanya revealed that he left the Estate because his staff advised him to hide himself in a more secure area, while adding that, he booked for an audience with the minister of finance informing him that, for over six months workers have gone with salary.
The GM told the staff that, they will henceforth be compensated according to what they put in, but however urged the workers to sacrifice their time and effort to resume work and surmount separatist’s threats.
“This is our division, we must develop this place, we must help the government achieve its developmental goals”, HRH Chief Charles Mekanya stated.
During the consultative meeting, some of the workers expressed security concerns and equally requested the GM to maintain his promise to pay their salary owed.
“What Pamol is owing workers from May 2018 will be paid, all what we need is for us to take off; if we leave this plantation without working, it will be a big shame to us”, HRH Chief Charles Mekanya said.
The SUN later learned that, separatist fighters attacked workers who were heading home after the meeting and collected FCFA 3000, given to them as seating allowance, and even got some of them well beaten.
It should be noted that, 30 minutes before the consultative meeting, separatist fighters stormed Lobe Estate firing guns in the air to scare workers from attending the meeting. The atmosphere was calmed back to normal thanks to the intervention of the military, which arrived prompt at the scene. However the meeting went on successfully under tight military scout.