The company's CEO brought a Buddha symbol to the office and forced everybody to bow to it, lest they risk a sack.
Buddhism is one of the biggest religions in the modern world, practiced by millions of people outside of China. However, entrenched under Article 38 of the Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 is a freedom of thought, conscience and religion guaranteed to every Nigerian citizen as a Fundamental Human Right,never to be violated by anybody.
Background
It should definitely not be a Chinese person carrying on business in Nigeria, probably on an expatriate quota, with work and residence permit.
This adds to the outrage of claims against Fanni Lijuan, a Chinese CEO of Chinese company, Yiwu Baolian Import and Export Company Limited on Irede Road, Abule Osun, in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State who reportedly sacked her VERY NIGERIAN employees because they refused to bow to the Buddha.
This seems very reminiscent of the actions of King Nebuchadnezzar who ordered the deaths of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego by flaming hot fire for refusing to bow to his idol.
According to Punch Metro, one of the employees at the company, Olaniyi claims their boss doled out the “strange” instructions to convert them to Buddhism by force and two employees who refused had already been sacked. Punch Metro also learned that some employees had already started bowing to Buddha out of fear.
Olaniyi says, “The issue is that Fanni Lijuan brought Buddhism to the office; she puts us in front of a projector that showed us how to practice Buddhism and we were asked to bow to the teacher. They also read some books to us, but before reading, we were asked to bow three times.
“Employees who refused to bow have been sacked; in fact, last week Monday, they sacked two people and the company’s excuse was that it was restructuring and it did not need the affected workers’ services anymore.
“The workers were sacked because they refused to bow down; and after the company sacked them, the management threatened other employees that if we did not bow to the teacher, we would be similarly sacked.”
Sacked employees’ accounts
One of the sacked employees who asked to remain anonymous says, “Our madam started this Buddhism practice in the office last year; she started by giving us lectures and asked us to be taking notes.
“We also listened to voices we didn’t know. Recently, she got to the stage of asking us to bow, but I refused. So, she gave me one month’s salary and sacked me and some others.
“When they laid me off, I was not bothered because I am not ready to bow to anything other than God. Even if she didn’t sack me, I would have quit. But the danger is that some workers have already compromised; they have bowed because they don’t want to be sacked; and now, they are working in fear.
“This is bad; we can’t be in our country and be treated like that. In Nigeria, nobody can force you to worship their gods. It is only in Nigeria that a foreigner will come to do something like that. The reason you still have some people in that company is that there are no jobs outside there; we are suffering.”
Raphael Ewiri, another sacked employee says that he was sacked after he rejected any advances to convert him and charged the government to investigate the matter.
The former storekeeper said, “Mrs. Fanni Lijuan told every one of us that there was a new way of showing humility according to the Chinese tradition and that we had to bow three times before and after lectures in appreciation of the Chinese sages that brought about the wisdom that had been in existence for 4,000 to 5,000 years. I felt like why should I bow three times before and after lectures?
“She feels not bowing is a sign of pride; she called me to her office one day and asked why we were not bowing. She was trying to cajole me that it was not religious, but a sign of humility.
“One day, Mrs. Lijuan brought me out in front of everybody; the auditor said we should all bow to the ancient, saying she was expecting me to bow. I didn’t because I never promised her that I would bow. So, when she took the first bow, she was surprised that I didn’t bow; she was very annoyed.”
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Lijuan’s testimony
Punch Metro visited Fanni Lijuan, the Chinese CEO of Chinese company, Yiwu Baolian Import and Export Company Limited on Irede Road, Abule Osun, in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State, but she denied Buddhism in the company as a forced standard, but did admit that she wanted her employees to bow to show humility as they were arrogant.
Lijuan said, “I never introduced Buddhism; they are just lying. What I observed is that some of the workers are very arrogant; even their body language shows that they are not respectful. So, we are learning some ways of living; humility and respect; and what I want them to do is a sign of humility — bow your body and stop being arrogant.
“I did not sack anyone because they did not bow; it is totally wrong. I never told anyone to leave Christianity or Islam to practice any other religion. We have Christians and Muslims in the company; I am a Buddhist and I want to create harmony among the different religions; that’s what I want to do in this company.”
Potential Implication of the matter
Even though you pay a people’s bills, you have no right to force them to go against things they believe in to suit your own beliefs; that is indentured servitude or at worst, slavery.
If you do so, you are also committing an offence that could be enforced by the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules of 2009. Have we forgotten the concept of free will?
A Buddha is the symbol of Buddhism that worshippers bow before as their sign of submission, worship or prayer. Buddhism on its own however encourages virtues and positivity, not exploitation and negativity or vices.
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