There is currently an uneasy calm in Guaranty Trust Bank, GTBank, as the managing director of the lender, Miriam Olusanya risks jail term for contempt of court. The Witness Nigeria reports that Justice A. L. Akintola of the High Court of Oyo state has ordered the trial of the bank’s chief, for blocking a customer’s account domicile in the bank’s Apata, Ibadan branch, with an order purportedly obtained from a magistrates’ court in Kano state. Olusanya will be tried for contempt of court following an ex-parte motion brought by Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), lawyer to the bank’s aggrieved customer, Omolara Abosede Ogunkoya. The court issued the order on September 18. Justice Akintola directed that court documents relating to the contempt proceedings be served on the bank’s MD and its Apata branch’s Manager, Ms. Funmi Olutayo. Part of the order reads: “Furthermore, by this order, the applicant herein is hereby allowed to serve Form 48 (notice of consequences of disobedience to order of this honourable court made on the 7th day of September 2023 and Form 49 (notice to show cause why the order of attachment should not be made and other subsequence processes in these contempt proceedings on the Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank Pic, Miriam Olusanya by substituted means to wit; by pasting the said processes on the wall of, Guaranty Trust Bank Pic, Apata branch/business office, Ibadan Oyo state.” The contempt case was informed by the bank’s alleged refusal to obey the court’s orders contained in a judgment delivered on September 7 directing it to, among others, immediately lift the restriction it placed on Mrs. Ogunkoya’s account. The bank customer had sued the bank following its alleged refusal to lift the restriction it placed on her account without allegedly offering any reason for its action. In the fundamental rights enforcement suit, marked M/696/2023, Mrs. Ogunkoya said she had operated the account without hindrance until the bank suddenly placed a lien on it earlier this year. She added that her efforts to make the bank rethink or provide a reason for its action proved abortive, prompting her to sue. Delivering judgment on the suit on September 7, Justice Akintola found, among others, that the bank’s action was unjustified, noting that the order on which the bank relied to act was doubtful. The judge said: “It is doubtful if the enrolled order of the Kano Chief Magistrate Court, attached as Exhibit B to the respondent’s (the bank’s) counter affidavit, is a certified true copy of such an order. “To the extent that it purports to be a public document, but which is not certified as a true copy of the original, this court cannot take cognizance of same. “In the end result, the basis upon which the respondent (GTBank) has placed the lien or embargo on the applicant’s account maintained with the respondent is of doubtful validity, and same cannot be recognized or given any effect to by this court. “It is on this premise that this court finds merit in the applicant’s application, and the same accordingly succeeds. It is, consequently, hereby ordered as prayed.” Justice Akintola ordered the bank to lift the restriction on the account immediately, orders the bank has failed to comply with. https://catchnews.com.ng/gtbank-md-miriam-olusanya-faces-trial-risks-jail/amp/https://theinfobulletin.com/2023/09/21/gtbank-md-miriam-olusanya-faces-trial-risks-jail/ 
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I found it surpring that Olam Farms one of the largest farms in the country has been involved and accused of slavery and human rights violation multiple times. Why is it that African firms are always at the forefront of things like this? There was one against them in Kaduna too sometime ago. Why only Olam? What is happening? This is when the EU threatened to drop them as a cocoa supplier Cocoa trader Olam says new EU law may force it to drop some suppliers
LONDON, April 14 (Reuters) - Commodity trader Olam said on Wednesday that new European Union legislation aimed at preventing the import of commodities linked to deforestation and human rights abuses might force it to stop using some of its cocoa suppliers.
Olam and other global companies with operations that include countries where environmental and human rights abuses are widespread, face increased pressure from consumers and lawmakers to source their products ethically.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive, is expected to propose due diligence legislation later this year that will compel companies to address human rights and environmental risks in their international supply chains.
Gerard Manley, chief executive of Olam’s cocoa business, said Olam fully supports the pending EU legislation.
It might, however, force it to cut ties with some suppliers in its indirect supply chain, which consists of unaffiliated exporters, traders and farmers in cocoa-growing countries, such as Ivory Coast.
“We have a supplier code. People will have to acknowledge they are following national and international rules. There will be verification as well. Those (that don’t comply) will not be able to supply to us,” he said.
If the EU laws are adopted, companies such as Olam might have to comply as early as 2024.
Olam sources about a third of its cocoa via an indirect supply chain and two thirds via a direct chain that enables the company to track its suppliers’ environmental and human rights practices.
The company released a report on Wednesday showing that, as of 2019/20, it was monitoring 100% of its direct supply chain for deforestation. In addition, just over half the direct chain was being monitored for child labour.
Companies such as Olam have for years relied on certification schemes audited by third parties like Fairtrade to clean up their supply chains, but these have had limited success on the ground.
Legislation aimed at preventing ethics abuses is pending, but it has to be carefully calibrated, according to industry experts, policymakers and civil society representatives, who say the laws must not lead companies to cut ties with impoverished nations that rely on commodity exports.
Top global cocoa producer Ivory Coast, for example, relies on Europe as a customer. It exports 67% of its cocoa to Europe and its cocoa sector represents 25% of the economy, employing about one million small farmers.
Its government has called for increased support from the EU and other donors to help implement the proposed legislation, including a request for more than 2 billion euros ($2.39 billion) to fight deforestation. ($1 = 0.8359 euros) (Reporting by Maytaal Angel; editing by Barbara Lewis)
https://www.reuters.com/article/cocoa-sustainability-olam-idUSL8N2M73WJ This is one from Ghana Ghanaian children accuse cocoa supplier Olam of breaching child labour laws
A group of 60 Ghanaian children aged 5 to 17 years old have taken the first steps in legal action against cocoa producer Olam, which supplies brands including Cadbury (Mondelez), Nestle, Ferrero and Starbucks, claiming the company is negligent as a result of the unlawful, exploitative and dangerous conditions in which they work. They also claim that Olam has been unjustly enriched at their expense.
In their letter before action, which is sent in advance of formal proceedings being issued and is the first step in legal proceedings, the children claim that Olam has breached international and Ghanaian laws in relation to the hazardous work they carry out. They claim that they have suffered illness and injury from their work on the cocoa farms as a result of having to use dangerous working tools including machetes and hooks, and a lack of protective equipment. They claim that they have no choice but to help their families by working on the cocoa farms because the insufficient money paid by Olam to the cocoa farmers does not allow for them to hire adult workers. This results in absences from school, food insecurity and poor living conditions.
The children all work on cocoa farms in the Western Region of Ghana that produce cocoa that is solely or mostly sold to the Olam Group. The Olam Group is an international food and agri-business, growing, trading, processing and distributing food and fibre crops to over 17,300 manufacturers, processors, retailers and food service customers worldwide. The Olam Group’s headquarters are in Singapore and in 2021 its turnover was $47 billion.
The Olam Group has a significant UK presence including the global headquarters for their cocoa business, Olam Cocoa, which supplies some of the world’s largest chocolate manufacturers, and also has its own portfolio of cocoa and chocolate ingredient brands. In Olam’s 2019-2020 Cocoa Compass Impact Report the company states “We are proud to supply leading multinationals and major chocolate confectionery businesses worldwide and to support their own sustainability ambitions. In the report Olam lists its customers as: Blommer Chocolate Company, Costco, Fazer, Ferrero, General Mills, Guittard, Läderach, Lindt & Sprüngli, Mars Inc, Mondelēz International, Nestlé, Orkla, Puratos, Ritter Sport, Starbucks, The Hershey Company.
The letter before action is addressed to Olam International UK Limited, Olam Europe Limited, Olam Food Ingredients UK Limited and Olam Ghana Limited. Any legal claim would be brought under Ghanaian law in the English courts.
The Ghanaian children, many of whom have been working on the farms since they were 4 or 5 years old, claim they have suffered physical injuries while working on the cocoa farms due to the use of sharp tools used in weeding, harvesting and cracking cocoa pods. They have also sustained reptile bites and have to deal with sharp vegetation and falling objects as well as suffering illnesses from exposure to toxic pesticides and fertilisers. They are unable to attend school for much of each academic year and when they are able to attend school they say they find it difficult to concentrate due to fatigue and feeling unwell as a result of working on the farms. During busy periods the children must work for several hours early in the morning prior and again for several hours in the afternoon on weekdays and on the weekends making them miss school and even when they do attend school they find it difficult to concentrate as they are so tired.
The letter before action, sent on their behalf by law firm Leigh Day, states that the group of children intend to bring legal action against Olam claiming that they have been negligent by breaching their common law duty of care and through their knowing and deliberate facilitation of violations of the children’s legal rights. The group also argue that Olam benefitted from unjust enrichment by earning huge profits at their expense.
The claimants argue that that Olam owe them a duty of care due to, among other things, the public statements it has made acknowledging the ongoing problem of child labour on its supplying farms and pronouncing its efforts to eradicate child labour. Olam’s corporate literature contains numerous references to the extensive steps that it claims to have taken to prevent the use of child labour and other exploitative working practices in the production of the cocoa that it uses.
In its 2019-2020 Cocoa Compass Impact Report, the CEO of Olam Cocoa announced that the company now has child labour monitoring in its direct supply chain across nine countries, including Ghana. The same report states that Olam’s goals for 2024 include “60,000 cocoa farmers in Olam Cocoa’s supplier network are achieving a living income” and by 2030 that “child labour is eliminated from our supply chain” and “150,000 cocoa farmers in Olam Cocoa’s supplier network are achieving a living income”.
According to Fairtrade, higher cocoa prices in the 1970s led to cocoa accounting for up to 50% of a chocolate bar’s value. In the 1980s this fell to 16%, and today farmers receive only around 6% of the value. A US Department of Labour backed report conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago found that 2018-19, over 50% of children in Ghana were engaged in hazardous child labour in cocoa production and that over a ten year period, child labour had increased despite commitments from the chocolate companies to end child labour in cocoa by 2020.
Oliver Holland, partner at law firm Leigh Day, said:
“It is clear from the statements that Olam has made publicly that it has been aware of the issue of child labour on its supplying farms for a considerable period and the company maintains that it is keen to pay its suppliers a living income. Despite this, it has failed to take the simple step of immediately increasing the price it pays to cocoa farmers who are still living far below the poverty line and so are left with no option but to seek help on the farms from their children in order to receive the little income cocoa farming provides to them.
“Given the huge profits that Olam reportedly earns, our clients argue that it has no justification for denying cocoa farmers a living wage which would enable them to provide for their families and leave their children free to attend school and enjoy their childhoods away from dangerous tools and gruelling work. On top of this our clients hope that by starting this legal action it will prompt other big companies that purchase cocoa from Olam to really think about whether they can consider themselves ‘ethical’ after hearing about their experiences.”
https://www.leighday.co.uk/news/news/2022-news/ghanaian-children-accuse-cocoa-supplier-olam-of-breaching-child-labour-laws/ This is Kaduna, Nigeria 🇳🇬 STAFF CRY OUT OVER INHUMANE TREATMENT METE OUT TO THEM AT OLAM FARMS IN KADUNA, HOW WORKERS ARE FORCED INTO LOCKDOWN DENIED THEIR RIGHTS
Olam Hatcheries Limited Kaduna (OHL) located along Kaduna-Abuja Expressway about 10-15km to Rijana/Katari (deadly zone of Kidnappers), a wholly owned subsidiary of Olam International (now OLAM AGRI) had an outbreak of Avian influenza (Bird Flu) in its over 13 Poultry Farms including rented Farms (NIGER FIRST) along Kaduna-Zaria Road from November last year to April 2022. Each of the Farms at its permanent site has a land size of 150m by 150m (approximately), and it has 4 closed system poultry houses constructed in it. Each Farm can house more than 50,000 young birds and about 35000 adult birds.
In the cause of the outbreaks, OHL lost over 350,000 birds due to greed and carelessness on the part of the management (General Managers of Farms and Hatchery, Business Head/Vice President and Sharad, the Senior Vice President). They were collecting hatchable eggs from Farms infected with bird flu and sending them to Hatchery with just two egg trucks and disinfection was not thoroughly done, one vehicle was also going round all farms to collect mortality thus spreading the disease with no regards for biosecurity measures and still sold the poultry litter as manure. In May, majority of the staff (75-80%) of the 180 staff were declared redundant and sent home.
Meanwhile against the recommendation of the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria and Veterinary Council of Nigeira, one of the Farms named BR1 (Broiler Rearing Farm 1) has been stocked with 50,000 birds since April and the Farm staff placed under LOCK DOWN after signing a Biosecurity Undertaking Form. They have been importing hatchable and fertile eggs since May and hatching them without proper disinfection of Hatchery and Farms. They will soon stock BR2, BR3, BR4 and BR5 before July ending. Why would there not be another outbreak? Yet, the management keep blaming staff for every outbreaks without providing bathing soaps, uniforms, towels and many other things needed to observe biosecurity across farms.
The lock down means that staff will be in the four walls of the farms (150m by 150m) for at least 5weeks without stepping out of the Farm, the staff are housed in 2 containers which are not properly padded or insulated against heat and the door handles are even causing electrical shocks. Against the promises made before the lock down began, there is no televisions or any recreational facilities and the food given are very poor. Meanwhile, the staff were also denied some allowances promised which is a 12hours overtime allowance for each day spent In the farm. Some of the staff are presently having mental health issues and are depressed.
Its is also unfortunate that there is no “Freedom of Worship” as Christians are not allowed to go for Sunday service on Sunday or even have a fellowship program while Muslims must pray in isolation and individually, no access to Jumma’at Mosque, Muslim staff even celebrated their Eid-Fitr and Eid-Kabir inside the Farm because they could neither go out to pray in congregation at Eid prayer ground nor celebrate with their Family, what sort of work prevent all these rights? The management even forced the muslims to stop using their mosque in the name of LOCK DOWN. The religion persecution and fundamental human rights violation is too much.
The mental, emotional and social health of these staff are grossly deteriorating as all they see within 5weeks is just chicken, chicken, and poultry feeds. There is no social events or recreational activity. And when they are allowed to go out after 5-6weeks for their off-duty rest, they are given ONLY 5days to see their family which is insufficient because some staff come from far distance and do spend a whole first day travelling home, then spend 3 days at home and the 5th day is used for rushing back to work. Separate 2 days is spent to Quarantine before going for another round of 5-6weeks LOCK DOWN.
There is no Farm in the world not to talk of a multinational organization that practice this kind of “Farm working system or Biosecurity measure”, they are only exploiting the high unemployment rate, perceived lawlessness in Nigeria and lack of enforcement of Fundamental Human Rights in mostly Chinese, Indian and Lebanese owned companies in Nigeria.
Does working with OHL Kaduna and Olam Agri now mean that people cant have another life apart from Olam? One cant even go for physical job interview once one is in lockdown. Unfortunately, OHL Farms have turned to a Prison facility for hard working and young Nigerians who are only trying to make a living. With this lockdown, it means one will only be outside Farm premises for only 40days in a calendar year with no commiserate compensation or motivation.
The security of each farm is of great concern, there are incidence of Diesel theft in BR1 and other Farms but no thief has been caught and prosecuted, instead the Farm staff under lock down are blamed for diesel theft. The management go as far as asking why will there be theft when staff are residing inside the Farm, excuse me sirs, were the staff employed as Farm staff or Security agents? Do you even expect a farm staff to confront an armed thief? In some instances those thieves are armed with guns and there were 2-3 incidences of attempted kidnap by bandits at BR4 (Broiler Rearing Farm also called Sambisa by OHL staff) between 2019 and 2021 but the management and CSO have been downplaying those incidences, we just pray these Farm staff will not be kidnapped in that isolated thick forest especially with the escape of some high profiled terrorists from Kuje prison whose Camp is in the Rijana-Katari axis.
Some Farms like BR4 is very far, about 4-5km from anywhere one could get help, if there is any security breach it will take hours for reinforcement to arrive which is more than enough time for Bandits to perpetuate their crime as they attack in HUNDREDS. We all know that nowhere is safe in Nigeria and that’s why staff should be allowed to come from home or stay outside the farm premises.
Having worked in OHL farms for close to 4 years, my salary moved from #30,000 per month to #33,000 after many agitation and peaceful protest, I had to leave when there is no career growth or progression, poor welfare and continuous casualization of majority of the work force in OHL[i][/i]. Now imagine working in this new set up of FARM LOCK DOWN for 5-6weeks with 1) risk of being kidnapped, 2) mental illness, 3) loss of social interactions with family and friends, 4) confinement and loss of freedom, 5) inability to practice ones religion freely and completely and many other sacrifices for just #33,000 ($79) per month. It’s a shame a Multinational Organization like OLAM AGRI will have one of its subsidiary maltreating Nigerian workers like this. All the staff there cannot resign because even if they all leave, OHL management will still treat the newly employed staff like the old ones if not worst.
The staff Union has failed herself and her members, the executives have been pocketed by the Indian led management and bribed with promotions and contracts. Any individual that tries to protest is either victimized, declared redundant or summarily dismissed at the slightest offence committed.
This LOCK DOWN should be abolished, staff salary and welfare improved, train and retrain staff and the current General Manager, HR Executive, both Vice Presidents and Sharad Gupta MUST LEAVE for OHL Kaduna to truly breathe a sigh of relieve and recovery from its challenges. CHI, Zartech, Sayed, Tuns Farm, Globbus, Obasanjo Farm and many Poultry Breeder Farms in Nigeria and beyond do not practice this kind of Human rights oppressive system.
I am therefore calling on well meaning Nigerians, religious leaders, professionals, human rights activists, civil society organization, international community and regulatory agencies to come to the aid of those Nigerians suffering and dying before Olam will use and dump them when they develop mental health issues just like they did to Abdullahi Balewa.
Thanks in advance as you relieve Nigerians from the shackle of Modern Slavery.
BJatau
https://abujareporters.com.ng/staff-cry-out-over-inhumane-treatment-mete-out-to-them-at-olam-farms-in-kaduna-how-workers-are-forced-into-lockdown-denied-their-rights/ 
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