19 November 2011, Sweetcrude, ENUGU – Coal miners in Enugu State have appealed to the Nigerian government to revive the coal corporation in the state to create employment opportunities.
Some of the miners, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Enugu, said the revival of the corporation would help reduce poverty among the people.
A disengaged coal miner, Mr Mike Aneke, told NAN that government’s planned privatisation of the corporation was a welcome development.
He condemned the selling of the corporations’ properties by government, saying that it would not be complementary to the revival of the corporation.
“It is for Federal Government to come and revive this coal corporation to enable the unemployed to get work. And all these properties they are selling in coal corporation, I don’t like it,” he said.
A retired coal miner, Mr Chukwuma Nwadiri, who narrated his ordeal as a miner, said it was a difficult task.
Nwadiri, who had worked with the corporation for 32 years, expressed regret that coal, which was supposed to be an alternative source of energy, was being neglected.
He expressed dissatisfaction over the non-payment of his pension for 16 years and appealed to government to pay him and others in similar position.
Mrs Maria Onu, wife of a deceased pensioner of the corporation, told NAN that her husband, Mr Ibebike Onu, died while waiting for the payment of his pension.
“Other pensioners were paid their 52 months’ arrears of pension; but my husbands’ money was not paid. I am waiting for them to pay me my husband’s money because he did not work in vain. It will enable me to train our children,” said Mrs Onu.
