In a shocking revelation, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has raised an alarm that foreigners, particularly Indians are taking over low-level jobs like vulcanizing and gate keeping in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, while Nigerians are battling unemployment.
This revelation was made by no other than Festus Osifo, PENGASSAN’s President on Friday at the closing ceremony of the 3rd edition of the Energy and Labour Summit.
He described it as unacceptable and alarming while bemoaning the situation.
The PENGASSAN president who also doubles as the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) alleged that the companies have manipulated the system by registering numerous shell companies to facilitate the influx of expatriates.
Osifo said they have registered over 200 companies to perpetrate the act.
Hear him: “They are taking over low-level jobs, which is a blatant abuse of the expatriate quota system,” Osifo said.
“In Sterling Oil today, it will amaze you to discover that we have more Indians working there compared to the number of Nigerians.
“In fact, up to vulcanizers, you have Indians carrying out such low jobs and functions in all their plants as operators and some are even gatekeeping operators.”
“When they are bringing in 10 Indians, they will use one company. Tomorrow, when they are bringing in another 20, they will use another company,” he said.
READ ALSO:NLC, TUC suspend strike for one week to allow minimum wage talks
“If you check, you will discover that over 100 or 200 companies registered spread these Indians across board.”
Osifo said the union has been in talks with the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to resolve the issue, but no progress has been made.
He said while Nigerian graduates are finding it difficult to secure employment, Indian companies are being granted excessive expatriate quotas, which they are abusing.
Osifo warned that the association might resort to confrontation if the issue remains unresolved, stressing that they are ready to act because they cannot be slaves in Nigeria.
The energy expert said Nigeria’s oil resources are owned by Nigerians and should primarily benefit them, even as he called on the government to take swift action to protect the rights and opportunities of Nigerian workers.
According to the head of the workers union, the number of Indian nationals employed at Indorama’s facilities in Port Harcourt surpasses that of Nigerians.
Osifo said Indians are paid in dollars while Nigerian workers struggle with the effects of currency devaluation.
“This situation is unacceptable and it must be addressed now,” he said.
Osifo urged relevant authorities to take decisive action against companies exploiting the expatriate quota system to the detriment of Nigerian workers.
By: Babajide Okeowo
The post ‘Indians, others taking over jobs in Nigeria’s oil & gas industry’, PENGASSAN raises alarm appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.