Abuja, Nigeria – August 24, 2024 – The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has raised concerns about the increasing dominance of expatriates, particularly Indian nationals, in the country’s oil and gas sector.
PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo highlighted the alarming trend at the closing of the 3rd Energy and Labour Summit in Abuja. He noted that Indian nationals are occupying low-level jobs, which he described as a blatant violation of the expatriate quota system.
Osifo revealed that PENGASSAN has been engaging with the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board to address the issue but has encountered limited success. He urged authorities to take decisive action against companies exploiting the system to the detriment of Nigerian workers.
The union leader cited examples of Indian nationals holding positions such as vulcanizers and gatekeepers in companies like Sterling Oil. He criticized the companies for manipulating the expatriate quota system by registering multiple companies to bring in more expatriates.
Osifo stated that PENGASSAN has held extensive discussions with stakeholders over the past two years to address the issue without results. He warned that the union may resort to more confrontational measures if the situation persists.
PENGASSAN called on the Federal Government to protect the rights and opportunities of Nigerian workers. The union also highlighted the disparity in wages between Indian and Nigerian workers at Indorama’s facilities in Port Harcourt, emphasizing the need for urgent action to address this inequality.
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