— Says Indians have taken over Nigerian jobs

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA –THE Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN has given an ultimatum to the management of Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company limited, to recall the 18 Nigerians recently sacked by the company if not, there will be a total shutdown of the company.

PENGASSAN has also sent a save-our-soul plea to the Federal Government to stop Indian expatriates from taking the jobs meant for Nigerians, stressing that some of them do not even have academic certificate.

Briefing journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, the President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Festus Osifo, lamented that the management of Sterling Oil Exploration is hundred percent Indians, contrary to the provisions of the law that gives the expatriates five percent slot in management position.

Comrade Osifo, who is also the President of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, of Nigeria alleged that over 10,000 Indians are working in Sterling and that majority of them are doing middle and low level jobs that should by law be done by Nigerians.

The PENGASSAN boss further lamented that artisnal work like welder, vulcanizer, gatemen, cooks, panel operators among others have been taken over by the Indians in the company.

He said that the entire operations in Sterling Oil Exploration is managed by Indians and that the management has over the years, prevented workers from unionising.

He said: “We have said last week that as of today we have over 10,000 Indians that are working in sterling. And the majority of these people, they are doing middle and low level jobs. These are jobs that Nigerians should do.

These are jobs that today we have Nigerians littering the streets. These are the jobs that they should be doing. But instead, we have Indians doing these jobs.”

Osifo said the most annoying aspect of it was that when the union leadership confronted the management of the company, it boasted that it has compromised everybody, hence, no one will challenge decisions of the management team but we have told them that this is our country, they cannot dictate to us.

Threatening to lay siege at the company, Osifor warned: “If our demands are not met, we will declare a nationwide strike that will cripple the oil and gas sector.”