Writing By Daniel Karlmax , Editing By Godwin Duru
More than two decades after the once-thriving textile industry in Kaduna shut its doors, over ten thousand former workers remain unpaid and abandoned
The Coalition of Closed and Unpaid Textile Workers Association, under the leadership of Comrade Wordam Simdik, is once again raising its voice – not just in protest, but in desperation.
These workers, some of whom gave 20 to 30 years of their lives to the looms and spinning machines, were never paid their gratuities or terminal benefits after the closure of companies such as Arewa Textiles Ltd, Kaduna Textile Limited (KTL), and Nortex-Finetex.
The companies were industry giants – their operations spanned decades and were once central to Nigeria’s economic development and industrial drive.
But today, those who kept the engines running are facing a cruel reality.
The consequences of this neglect are staggering.
According to the Coalition, over three thousand former workers have died since the closures, many unable to afford basic healthcare or shelter.
The remaining workers – mostly elderly, windows and orphans with few means of earning , are grappling with extreme poverty, unable to pay school fees for their children, rent homes, or access treatment for chronic illnesses.
The Association is appealing to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Assembly, and especially the Northern State Governors under the leadership of Governor Inuwa Yahaya, as well as Senator Uba Sani of Kaduna State, to urgently intervene.
Their demands are simple: facilitate the payment of long-overdue benefits, investigate the ownership and change of status of Arewa Textiles to Binnett International, and ensure that justice is served before any development or sale of the premises is allowed.
The Coalition is calling on the National Assembly to take swift action on the matter , considering that it is a signatory to the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Geneva Conventions on workers’ rights.
If the government could swiftly pay the Super Falcons after their recent victory, then surely, it can do the same for those who gave their lives to building the nation’s economy.
Daniel Karlmax
