The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has complained about the increasing number of Indian nationals in the country’s oil and gas industry.
PENGASSAN alleged the Indians are taking over low-level jobs and abusing the expatriate quota system.
Its President, Festus Osifo, raised the issue at the Energy and Labour Summit in Abuja, stating that Indians are dominating the sector, even in menial jobs such as vulcanizers and gatekeepers.
Osifo criticized the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for failing to address the issue, despite the union’s engagements.
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He alleged that Indian companies are manipulating the system by registering multiple Shell companies to bring in expatriates, with over 200 companies registered to facilitate this.
PENGASSAN has been engaging stakeholders for two years without result, and Osifo warned that confrontation may be the next step.
According to him, Nigeria’s oil resources belong to Nigerians and should benefit them first and foremost.
Osifo then called on the Federal Government to protect Nigerian workers’ rights and opportunities, citing the example of Indorama’s facilities in Port Harcourt, where Indian nationals outnumber Nigerians and are paid in US dollars.
He urged authorities to take decisive action against companies exploiting the expatriate quota system.
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