BUA Group, a Nigerian multinational conglomerate with major interests in cement production and food processing, has dismissed no fewer than 700 truck drivers at its Obu-Okpella plant in Edo State following a peaceful protest over benefits they say were unjustly withheld from them.
The mass termination followed a December 2025 protest by the drivers, who accused the company’s management of excluding them from a N30 billion staff welfare gift announced by BUA Chairman, Abdul-Samad Rabiu, for long-serving employees across the group.
According to the affected workers, the cash gift valued at approximately $20.7 million was distributed among management and other staff categories, while truck drivers, whom they describe as “the backbone of operations,” were left out entirely.
“We Protested Peacefully, They Returned With Sack Letters”
Speaking with FIJ on Wednesday, Silas Simon, one of the dismissed drivers at the Edo plant, said the workers were shocked to discover that the funds approved by the chairman never reached them.
“The chairman released money for staff welfare, but we later discovered that it was shared among management and other workers. We, the truck drivers, got nothing, even though we are the front-runners of this business,” Simon said.
He explained that after several internal complaints failed to yield results, the drivers opted for a peaceful demonstration on December 24, 2025. Instead of addressing their grievances, the company allegedly responded by issuing dismissal letters.
“We are about 700. We protested peacefully, and the response we got was termination,” he added.
Simon further disclosed that none of the affected drivers was paid severance or terminal benefits following their dismissal.
“I was hoping to at least get a payoff to help me survive while looking for another job, but there was nothing. This is not the first time we’ve been denied benefits,” he told said.
Long-Serving Drivers Say They Were Systematically Excluded
Several drivers said the exclusion from the N30 billion gift was part of a longstanding pattern of discrimination against the transportation unit.
Simon noted that some drivers had worked with BUA for over a decade without benefiting from welfare packages meant for long-serving staff.
“If this money was truly shared sincerely, some drivers who have spent more than 10 years here should have benefited. Even if I personally may not qualify, those senior drivers deserved it,” he said.
10-Year Employee Among Those Sacked
John Obi*, who said he joined BUA in 2015 and had worked at the Okpella plant for a decade, confirmed that he was among those dismissed after the protest.
“BUA announced a N30 billion gift to workers. A portion came to Okpella, but the truck drivers were ignored. We protested, and now about 700 of us have been sacked,” Obi told FIJ during a phone interview.
He added that the affected workers had reported the matter to a human rights office in Abuja but were yet to receive any response.
According to Obi, the dismissal letters were issued on December 27, 2025 three days after the protest when drivers were invited to the administrative department under the guise of a meeting.
“Some of us went there and were handed dismissal letters. Others refused to go because once you show up, they ask you to sign your termination, and once you sign, it’s over,” he explained.
Obi said he chose not to collect his dismissal letter, though many of his colleagues did.
“They Always Say We Are Too Many”
Obi alleged that truck drivers had consistently been excluded from staff benefits, including during the company’s 10th anniversary celebration, when financial rewards were reportedly shared across different branches.
“Whenever we asked management why we were excluded, they said truck drivers were not included, or that we were too many,” he said.
Despite being employed as non-contract staff, the drivers said they were frequently treated as expendable.
Claims of Denied Allowances and Health Insurance
Beyond the disputed N30 billion gift, the dismissed drivers also accused BUA of denying them basic welfare entitlements such as house allowance and health insurance, despite the hazardous nature of their work.
Simon said most drivers earned between N65,000 and N120,000 monthly and were excluded from the company’s health coverage scheme.
“Other staff are registered at hospitals, but truck drivers are not. When we fall sick, we pay from our pockets. When a driver dies, we contribute money ourselves to take the body home,” he said.
He recalled a recent incident in which a driver from Jos died on company premises, and fellow drivers had to pool funds to transport his remains.
Welfare Dispute Dating Back to 2021
Another dismissed driver, Friday James*, who joined BUA in 2019, said disputes between the transport department and management had persisted for years.
“In 2021, we found out that BUA was paying house allowance. When production staff protested, management responded. When it got to our turn, nobody answered us,” James said.
He added that confusion over whether truck drivers were classified as contract or direct staff was deliberately used to deny them benefits.
The final trigger, he said, was the December 2025 N30 billion staff donation, which reignited long-standing frustrations within the transportation unit.
“We planned how senior drivers would help junior ones if the money came. Then we discovered it had already been shared and we got nothing. That was when we decided to protest,” James explained.
Company Declines Comment
When FIJ contacted Ahmed Idris, the General Manager of the Obu-Okpella plant, he declined to comment and referred all inquiries to BUA’s head office.
“I am not authorised to speak on this matter. You need to contact our head office. If they want me to speak, they will direct me,” Idris said.
As of the time of reporting, BUA Group had not issued an official statement addressing the dismissal of the truck drivers or the allegations of withheld benefits.
