No fewer than 9,000 former textile workers in Kaduna State have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, state governors, and other stakeholders to intervene in the payment of about N35 billion in unpaid gratuities and compensation owed to them.
The workers, under the Coalition of Closed Unpaid Textile Workers of Nigeria, Kaduna State chapter, said the debt arose from the collapse of four major textile companies—Kaduna Textiles Limited, Arewa Textiles Plc, Nortex, and Fine Tex Limited.
In a statement signed by their president/chairman, Jeibe Wordam and Samuel Ibrahim, the group said the companies shut down between 2002 and 2004 without paying workers their entitlements.
They said the closures rendered more than 9,000 workers jobless, while over 2,800 workers and family members have reportedly died during years of agitation for payment.
According to the coalition, Kaduna Textiles Limited closed in 2002, Arewa Textiles Plc in December 2004, while Nortex and Fine Tex ceased operations in 2003.
The workers lamented that despite repeated appeals, the management of the affected companies has not shown commitment toward settling the outstanding liabilities.
They also said many affected workers are now elderly, impoverished, and unable to meet basic needs such as healthcare and education for their families.
The coalition recalled earlier engagements with the House of Representatives during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, noting that the matter was not resolved before the end of the Ninth National Assembly.
They therefore urged President Tinubu, the 10th National Assembly, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Northern Governors Forum, and other stakeholders to intervene and facilitate the payment of the alleged N35 billion entitlement.
