*Abuja-Based Specialist Hails Company Over Action, But Seeks Proper Waste Disposal Systems In Firms
By Sani Bala Karo
Irked by the attitude of some staff members who chew sugar cane and litter the company premises with the chaff, authorities of Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR), Numan, Adamawa State, have promised ‘hell’ to such careless employees.
The authorities cited the need to avert environmental hazards and erase public perception of the premises as “dirty”, as reason for the official crackdown.
To these ends, the management banned the workers from chewing sugar cane on the company premises.
It noted that the cane has high value and cost even as the product constitutes a core raw material for the refinery’s operations.
The decision was contained in a circular addressed to all staff members by the firm’s Head of Human Resources, Mr. Ikechukwu Okorie, and dated 7 April , 2026, a copy of which was obtained by People&Politics.
Titled ‘Final Warning On Chewing Of Company Sugar Cane’, written in capital letters, and copied to no less than half a dozen top shots of the firm, including an Executive Director (ED) and relevant Divisional Heads, the management warned that “summary disciplinary actions” awaits violators of the fresh order.
Describing the workers’ attitude as amounting to gross misconduct, the management promised to wield the axe should such recur.
The final warning seems to be the latest among several others previously served.
The circular stated, in part: “The cane is a company property with great value cost attached to it and that chewing cane and dropping the chaffs (sic) indiscriminately degrades the company environment hence messing up the house keeping efforts.”
It further reminded employees that ‘Ɗangote Sugar Refinery is a food industry that needs
excellent housekeeping, therefore littering chewed cane chaffs will not be allowed.”
To give teeth to the warning, Okorie informed them that “company security were on red alert and have been mandated to arrest anybody caught chewing company sugar cane and the perpetrators will be subjected to disciplinary action and prosecuted accordingly to recover the loss of important company asset.”
Commenting on the development, an environmental health professional in Abuja, Sanitarian Hussaini Abdulkadir, described the workers’ attitude as a general problem among factories and companies in Nigeria.
Speaking to People&Politics, he attributed the menace to failure of managements, in most cases, to properly implement planned disposal system for waste and refuse.
Abdulkadir added: “Managements in such places must ensure that workers are given good orientation on workplace ethics and guidance with respect to environmental rules to avoid embarrassment.”
He also warned that allowing such a practice causes industrial setback in terms of productivity and healthy manpower and, worse still, distorts the aesthetic nature of the company environment.
The Sanitarian advised companies to engage the services of Environmental Health Officers to always guide staff, plan and manage waste and advise accordingly.
He commended DSR for its swift action against the recalcitrant staff, saying their attitude was bad for the environment.
