The Dangote Group of Companies has offered compensation to a food vendor, Rashidat Saadu, who was reportedly hit by a stray bullet from an accidental discharge involving security personnel, at the Dangote Refinery, Lagos, recently.
The compensation package elicited the gratitude of the husband, Ismaila Saadu, who thanked the Group profusely.
“Dangote Group has given my wife her life back with the huge amount that I received from the company. Contrary to an online media report which alleged that the Dangote Group abandoned the victim, who was alleged to be a staff of the conglomerate, Ismaila Saadu, a driver with a company contracted by Dangote Transport at the oil refinery in Lekki, Lagos, confirmed that the officials of the Group maintained close contact with his family, after the incident and ensured the full payment of his wife’s hospital bills, after which a huge compensation was paid, to enable his wife and family take up other business activities. Ismaila Saadu, who received the cash transfer, was full of praise for the Dangote Group, saying that Dangote has given his wife her life back with the huge amount that he received from the company. The concerned security personnel have also been handed over to the police for prosecution.
“I have taken two weeks’ leave from my company, which is on contract with Dangote, to go home to Kaduna State to set up a business for my wife. I will set up a provisions and foodstuff store for my wife. I do not want to mention the amount because of security challenges, but the money is big enough to change the story of my family.
“I want to thank the members of the Dangote Refinery who have been assisting us. My wife is in better condition. I know that, if we were abandoned, it wouldn’t have been easy because I don’t have enough money to take care of her hospital bills and to set up a business for my wife. The money given to her will be judiciously used. It will be used to open a standard foodstuff and provisions shop that will be a beehive of customers. I want to state that I have no problem with Dangote Company. They have done well and I am grateful.
Meanwhile, a senior staff of the oil refinery, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “People should always be patient to investigate matters to know the real position before going out to the public to report what they don’t understand. An online media that did not even know what transpired had gone to mislead the public that a Dangote staff was shot and abandoned by the company, which was false.
“Today, you have heard from him, how we have given his family succour. The man who kept his gun carelessly was also handed over to the police. We were not happy that the woman’s hand was amputated, but we made sure that the family bounced back to life. The press should verify the information before publishing what they may not know anything about.”
