PENGASSAN Laments India Takeover of Nigerians’ Jobs In Oil and Gas Sector
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has expressed concerns at the alarming rate at which foreigners are hijacking jobs in the oil and gas sector meant for Nigerians.
The President of the Association, Mr Festus Osifo, stated this on Friday during the third edition of the 3day Energy and Labour Summit which held in Abuja.
Osifo noted that Indian nationals, in particular, have begun dominating the sector, making jobs scarce for Nigerians.
At the summit tagged, “The Future of Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry: Energy Mix, Energy Security, Artificial Intelligence, Divestment, and Crude Oil Theft,” Osifo pointed out that the matter had been brought before the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board to find a solution to the worrying development.
“They are taking over low-level jobs, which is a blatant abuse of the expatriate quota system.
“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 vulcanisers, you have Indians carrying out such low jobs and functions in all their plants as operators and some are even gatekeeping operators.
“Our graduates who are out from the universities are looking for work to do. But we keep granting expatriate quota to these Indian companies and they have abused it,” Osifo stated.
According to Osifo, the companies are cheating the system by registering 200 companies, which makes it easy for done to go scot-free.
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“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.
“So, if you check, you will discover that over 100 or 200 companies registered spread these Indians across the board,” Osifo said,” he went on.
The President warned that should the Federal Government fail to address the matter, the next option could be “confrontation.”
Osifo also lamented the pay disparity between the expatriates and Nigerian workers, the foreigners being paid in dollars and Nigerians, in Naira.
“What is left for us might probably be confrontation. We are fully prepared because we cannot be slaves in Nigeria.
“Nigeria’s oil resources belong to Nigerians and it should benefit them first and foremost. It doesn’t belong to Sterling or any other,” Osifo said
