…It’s not true, says  company
Life may never remain the same again for 26-year-old Elizabeth Bassey, following the tragic incident that resulted in her losing her right hand. The mother of one is currently battling hard to adjust to her present condition as she tries to use her left hand to do everything . Presently, she covers her amputated right hand with a scarf, apparently to avoid causing a stare.

Although, it has been four months since the unfortunate incident happened, the Akwa-Ibom state born light-complexioned lady is still going through excruciating pains from the scars of the injury.

She alleged that her employers, Namoh Industries, her employers, situated at Ogba road, Ikeja,where she worked as a casual worker with a paltry monthly salary of N13,000 abandoned her.

Recalling the incident that led to her condition, Elizabeth said, “ I started working as a casual staff in January 2010 as a packer. I was responsible for packing plastics after they had been produced. However, in November 2011, an incident which subjected me to a one- hand woman occurred, after my supervisor, Musa, asked me to stop what I was doing and go and operate the machine . I told him I could not operate the machine because that was not my area of specialty.

But the next statement that came from him, prompted me to go, for he said it was either I went to operate the machine or I leave  the company. Because I did not want to lose my job, even though the salary was poor,  I decided to  go and operate the machine  because the job was the source through which I cater for my nine- year-old daughter and my mother who she stays with in Akwa-Ibom.

And the unexpected happened
My worst fear stared at me in the face two days later. It was about 4am and I was on night duty when all of a sudden, the machine stopped because one of the plastics got stuck inside and I did not know what to do. Quickly, I  rushed to call my supervisor, Musa, who put his hand inside the machine and removed it,saying that was what I should do anytime it happened like that again.

Not long after he left the factory, the machine stopped again and as I tried to remove the stuck plastic the same way my supervisor did, my hand got stuck and immediately the machine resumed working, grinding my hand in the process . I screamed in pains, calling for help . Everyone who ran in and saw my hand stuck, with blood spilling all over the hall,  screamed in fear and rushed out to call for help.”

After what looked like eternity, help finally came her way as one of the workers identified as Sabastine rushed in and summoned courage to stop the machine before pulling out Elizabeth’s hand from the machine.

Sabastine, as gathered, got a motorcyclist which took Elizabeth to two different private hospitals around the area where she was rejected but  referred to the Ikeja general hospital. At the hospital, it was disclosed to her amazement that her arm from the elbow, would be amputated. Shock, according to her, was an understatement to describe the expression that greeted the sad news.

Elizabeth- before and after the accident

Abandoned
But in this trying period,  Lizzy as she is fondly called, said her company never visited her in the hospital. Narrating the company’s neglect in tears, she said, “During my stay in the hospital, it was only Moses, one of the workers  who stood  by me before the arrival of my mother. Unfortunately, he was sacked later for not reporting for duty during that period he assisted me in the hospital.  Since then, nobody from the management level deemed it wise to come and visit me.

“I am therefore demanding for compensation , not just because of the shabby way they treated me but because when I went for my January 2012 salary, I was only given N5,000, against the N13,000 I was supposed to collect. Tell me, which company will want to employ my service in this present state?”

At this point, her nine year-old daughter,  Happiness, a primary four pupil broke down in tears and at the same time, tried to wipe the tears that was running down her mother’s cheek. Happiness who was expected to continue her education in Akwa-Ibom, has reportedly been staying with her mother, who all the while had been responsible for  the payment of her school fees.

In an emotion-laden voice, which moved everyone around to tears,  little Happiness said, “ Mummy stop crying and get well. You know I have stopped school because you can no longer pay my school fees. If you continue crying this way, you may break down and that will be too much for me.”

Turning to this writer as if her anticipated help relied on her, Happiness said, “ Can you please help me tell government to come to my mum’s rescue , so she can train me to university level as she has always promised me.”

Corroborating Happiness’s view on the need for government’s attention to be drawn to the matter, the Chief Executive Officer of Safety Incident Information Resource Center, Mr Rotimi Bello, where Elizabeth went to seek help, said, “ there is need for government to be involved in issues like this. That way, measures would be put on ground by most companies to avert industrial incidents like this.”

Elizabeth lied
However, during  a visit to the company’s headquarters in Lagos Island, one David Babani, who claimed to be the  company’s Managing Director, expressed regret on the tragic incident but described as untrue, claims by the victim that she was abandoned by the company.

Rather, he said: “As soon as the incident happened, the company did everything to make Elizabeth comfortable, including footing all her medical bills and more. I must confess that I am not happy with the turn out of things. In fact, her family took her to three different hospitals and we paid for everything they asked for. I expected the family to be grateful for all that the company did.

“All money was paid without any argument.  Also, a visit at the branch office at Ogba, where the incident happened corroborated the MD’s position, as the Admin Manager, who simply gave his name as Famous said, “I personally visited the hospital the next day to see Elizabeth and also made provision for N150,000 which was received by her boyfriend, Sabastine. But I am shocked at the indictment .

“In fact, I went to see her twice at the Ikeja General Hospital where doctors discovered that the affected  hand had been damaged and that the only remedy was for the hand to be amputated. But her family said they wanted to take her to a native bone setter somewhere at Alagbole. I tried to talk them out of it but they wouldn’t listen.

“The doctors at the General hospital even made them sign an undertaking that they were taking Elizabeth out of the hospital without their support which they did. They even came to the company to ask for N100,000 for the bone setter which was given  to them.

“But at the end of the day, nothing could be done by the native man and by then, the hand had worsened. They later came to us saying they wanted to take their daughter to Akwa-Ibom for a cure and we gave them some money again. So, for her to say she was neglected is a lie. Since the incident, we’re still paying Elizabeth her full salary. We only paid N5000 this January because of the strike. Moreover, we didn’t work much that month”, Famous said.”

The company, he said, was  already making moves to get her an artificial hand as requested by Elizabeth. But the delay “is because doctors said we’ll have to wait for the hand to  be properly dried  before introduction of an artificial hand will be made. We are therefore, waiting for the hand to get dried”, he said.

Asked what would become the fate of Elizabeth, considering her present state, Famous replied : “We even want her to come and start working as soon as she likes. It’s better for her to keep being busy by  mixing with people than to stay idle.

“That somebody is handicapped doesn’t mean that the person can’t work anymore or the person’s life has come to an end. If she decides to come back, we will give her a light duty and also ensure she works for at least four hours everyday before going home.”

Asked why Elizabeth was allowed to operate  the machine without a maintenance man or Supervisor on duty, Famous insisted that there was always a maintenance man and Supervisor on ground.

, saying  all Elizabeth needed to have done  was to call on them if there was any problem with the machine. “ In fact , this is the first incident that has occurred since the inception of this company”, he informed.

But Elizabeth still maintained her ground, insisting  she was not aware of any payment by her company, estimating  all her family had spent since the incident occurred at N500,000.