BY EBUN SESSOU

The President of the Nigerian Welders Association (NWA) Comrade Pius Itama, has called on the Federal Government to curb the influx of foreigners competing for welding jobs in the oil and gas sector and other sectors of the economy.

Itama made this call at a two day National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the association in Ogun State.

He said that members of the association are now being faced with unemployment, which is caused by the flooding of the Nigeria welding market by foreigners, mostly Chinese, Indians and Lebanese.

He noted that the association had about 20,000 members out of which less than 10 per cent are employed by the multinational companies operating here in Nigeria.

“Instead of employing Nigerian trained professional welders in order to reduce the unemployment rate in the country, these multinational companies still bring in some half-baked foreigners to come and do the job.

“We have so many construction works going on across the country now which involve welding. Go to the cement factory in Okpella, the one in Ogun state, Agbami oil rig and so on, these are places where our expertise is needed, but instead of employing Nigerians you will see thousands of those foreigners doing these jobs, even up to the person driving forklift.

“Funny enough, the Federal Government, Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, amongst others are turning out trained welders everyday only for them to be roaming the street without having any work to do because their works had been taken over by foreigners,” Itama said

He noted that since the inception of welding and construction works in the country, Nigerians have been fully involved in, “the construction of our refineries both in Warri, Port Harcourt, Kaduna and even some petrochemical industries and cement factories. Nigerians were the ones that carried out the welding works. Why is it now that they are saying we can no longer do it?” he queried.

“I am not sure the Presidency is aware of this problem, because if it is, I have the conviction that they would have done something about it.

“I believe it was some disgruntled elements in authority that are manipulating this thing because of their own selfish interest and they will not tell the Presidency the truth of the matter because most of them are the owners of the companies where all these foreigners work,” he lamented.

He stressed that the Nigeria Immigration Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Nigeria Customs Service, should brace up to their duties, as most of these foreigners do not even have the requisite skills and the legal documents to work in the country.