...GHANAIANS SUBJECTED TO INHUMAN TREATMENT

GHANAIAN WORKERS at the BRM Wood Processing Company Limited at Fante Nyankumase in the Central region have a lot of sad tales to tell when the accounts of the maltreatment of indigenous Ghanaians in their own backyard by some expatriates are penned down for future generation.

Chronicle has learnt that some Italians and the Lebanese running the BRM have turned its own workers of personnel of the security firm, ESSIAD Security Systems Services Ltd, engaged by the company for security details, into 'door mats,' and are subjecting them to all sorts of human rights abuses and maltreatment without pity.

The paper gathered that the workers of the BRM and Personnel of the ESSIAD Security Systems & Services Ltd, have vowed to take matters into their own hands as they would no longer tolerate any racial maltreatment from the expatriate staff.

As part of their avowal stances, a complaint was lodged at the Fante Nyankumase police station last week against three of the management staff, one Italian and two Lebanese, for allegedly threatening to shoot security personnel of the ESSIAD Security Systems.

As at the time of going to press, the management of BRM was yet to respond to Chronicle's calls over the issue, though deputy Human Resource Manager, Tony, assured this reporter that his people were on break last Friday and would soon contact the paper for comment.

But Chronicle sources close to Nyankumase police have confirmed the story and said the case had been forwarded to Abura-Dunkwa divisional police command for further investigation.

It was gathered that the three expatiates had been playing hide and seek with the police.

Chronicle investigations indicated that at about 11 p.m. on April 15, this year, three of the expatriates in management position in the BRM, without being provoked, attacked the security guards and threaten to blow their heads off.

In the ensuing melee, one of the workers of the BRM who were running for their dear life fell down and sustained a serious injury in the process.

The accounts, as gathered by Chronicle, indicated that between 7:30 p.m.and 8:00 p.m.that fateful day, four ESSIAD personnel detailed at the maintenance yard of BRM were going about their duties when Roger, Jr., a management member at the production department, pulled off a salon car with registration number CR 384 P towards the duty post.

When Roger Jr., who is the younger brother of Production Manager Mr. Roger, alighted from the car he asked the security guards why four of them were gathered at one place.

The guards explained that they were all detailed to man the post because it was the most sensitive area of their operations and as a result their supervisors always ensured that more than three personnel are always assigned there.

A few minutes later, Mauro, the son of Mr. Euginio Magrini, one of the Italian Directors of the BRM, also arrived at the security checkpoint with a Nissan Pajaro with registration number CR 8330 P, being driven by a Ghanaian, to join his Lebanese compatriot.

When he also alighted from the car, he asked the security personnel the question Roger, Jr., had earlier asked, and the guards gave him a similar answer given to his compatriot.

At this stage, the guards starting pondering over what might have prompted the questions since it was not the first time that such arrangement had been made.

Roger and Mauro, who were still at the security post, quickly drove away when they saw the supervisors of ESSIAD Security System walking toward the checkpoint.

After their departure, nothing was heard of them until around 11 pm that same night when they arrived at the factory with another Lebanese, Gazan, who is the Transport and Stores Manager.

On their arrival, the two Lebanese and the Italian alighted, rushed on the security personnel and started shouting at them to sit down on the ground.

Before the security personnel could know what was happening, Gazan had snatched a knife from one of the security guards and threatened to stab the guards if they would not sit down.

While Gazan was struggling with the guards, Mauro pounced on one of them, Emmanuel Kobina Kumi, and ordered him to sit down, but he refused. Gazan pulled out a pistol and threatened to blow off Kumi's head.

During the confrontation the guards managed to free themselves and dashed away. The expatriates who were not satisfied trailed them and in the process one of the dryer laborers who was also running for his life, fell down and sustained injury at his ribs. He has since lodged a complaint with the police.

Chronicle investigations into the activities of some of the foreign workers at the BRM indicated that the recent act was not the first at the company, particularly after the death mysterious death of a Mr. Roberto, an Italian, the former owner of the company last year.