The effect of COVID-19 appears to be a huge price the Nigerian state and its citizens are paying in an unpleasant way as both the state and individuals are adversely affected.
In an effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nigerian government had taken over and converted Capital Global Apartment, a hotel located at the Asokoro area of Abuja, the Nigerian capital city that belongs to the Department of State Security Service (DSSS) to an isolation centre.
A senior official of the hotel while speaking to the MAWA FOUNDATION narrated how the hotel was collected by the Nigerian government and converted to Isolation Centre leading to its shutdown and the sack of over 120 staff.
He added that the few staff that were not sacked are been paid by the federal ministry of health who retained them to work in the engineering department, Kitchen, housekeeping, and front desk. Blissy Hospitality, a company that manages the hotel having realized that the hotel has liquidated, disengaged all staff, he disclosed to MAWA.
One of the affected staff who did not want his identity to be disclosed, told MAWA Foundation that many were affected, pointing out that despite their dismissal, they were not paid any form of compensation.
He, however, accused Blissy Hospitality, which is managing the place of refusing to pay them some months of salaries; even the government had paid them to settle the dismissed staff.
Another staff that was affected, Mr. Johnson, who prefers only his first name mentioned, told MAWA FOUNDATION that the government took over the apartment and converted it to an isolation centre because of its security as it is under the DSSS watch.
This is even as Nigeria has a labour law that provides a legal framework that protects the rights of employees in Nigeria. And, also, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has the mandate to protect workers by ensuring they are not maltreated and their rights and privileges protected at all times by their employers.
MAWA FOUNDATION could not immediately reach out to Blissy Hospitality for an explanation as telephone calls made to one of its officials did not go through and text messages sent to him were not responded to.