Sterling Oil in trouble as FG takes legal action over anti-labour practices, non-compliance

• The national authorities is yet stepping into the prolonged labour situation astatine Sterling Oil
• PENGASSAN members had staged a protestation astatine the institution headquarters, implicit favoritism against Nigerians and different anti-labour practices
• As the contented continues to drag, the national authorities is taking ineligible enactment done the NCDMB to enactment an extremity to SEEPCo's excesses

Legit.ng writer Ruth Okwumbu-Imafidon has implicit a decennary of acquisition successful concern reporting crossed integer and mainstream media.

The national authorities has announced plans to instrumentality enactment against Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company’s (SEEPCo) alleged anti-labour practices and maltreatment of the expatriate quota system.

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) vowed that enactment volition beryllium taken against the institution for repeatedly violating the section contented directives.

Recall that the members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) staged a protestation past week astatine the company's caput bureau successful Victoria Island, Lagos.

According to the NCDMB, Sterling Oil has repeatedly flouted the provisions of the NOGICD Act. Photo credit: State House/contributor
Source: Getty Images

Led by the PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifor, they raised issues of anti-labour practices successful the steadfast and maltreatment of the expatriate quota system.

Mr. Osifo observed that the institution was discriminating against Nigerians, and giving the jobs meant for Nigerians to Indian nationals, adjacent erstwhile determination were qualified Nigerians.

Osifo explained that different international lipid and state companies had Nigerians occupying apical managerial, enforcement and method positions, but the aforesaid could not beryllium said astir Nigerians successful Sterling Oil.

FG reacts done NCDMB

In the connection from NCDMB, the committee noted that the fig of Nigerians occupying cardinal managerial and method positions successful other IOCs could beryllium traced to the enforcement of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010.

This peculiarly affects the Expatriate Quota, Succession Plan, Deployment of Expatriates Guidelines, and Expatriate Work Temporary Work Permit Guidelines.

The committee commended PENGASSAN for playing the relation of whistle-blower connected expatriate quota maltreatment successful Sterling Oil, promising to analyse and instrumentality enactment immediately, the PUNCH reports.

The committee went further to uncover that Sterling Oil had been sanctioned immoderate years agone for violating the NOGICD Act, and determination are besides ongoing engagements implicit a repetition of the aforesaid issues.

According to NCDMB, the institution employed 5 expatriates successful 2017 without securing support from the board. Again successful 2018, 402 expatriates were discovered successful SEEPCO’s employment that had not been approved by NCDMB.

Other infractions included the awarding of projects, acquisition orders and contacts without securing NCDMB approval, and the committee sanctioned SEEPCo accordingly.

Sterling Oil refuses to comply with FG sanctions

However, NCDMB discovered that the institution had failed to comply with its penalties which included disengaging the 402 expatriates and providing grounds of their exit.

Fresh ineligible enactment has frankincense been taken against SEEPCO successful enactment with the provisions of Section 68 of the NOGICD Act.

SEEPCO has appealed for an out-of-court colony and tried to show committedness to resolving the issues by grooming 40 Nigerians successful 2022. However, determination is inactive nary grounds to corroborate that the employment committedness has been met.

There are besides different infractions similar the partial NCDF remittances, and a refusal to comply with different Nigerian contented requirements.

NCDMB disclosed that it has requested statutory submissions from SEEPCo and scheduled a show reappraisal league for March 2025, and reassured that it would guarantee the institution complies to make occupation opportunities for Nigerians and boost the section economy.

Sterling Oil insists it is law-compliant

The activities of lipid companies successful Nigeria are regulated by the NOGICD Act which mandates them to usage much section talents and section contented successful operations. Photo credit: contributor
Source: Getty Images

In its statement, Sterling Oil insisted that it abides by the Collective Bargaining Agreement betwixt PENGASSAN, the Industrial Act, and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to its missive and spirit, and remains a liable firm citizen.

The institution besides reiterated its intent to make jobs for Nigerians and guarantee energy information done its galore trainings and initiatives.

FG recovers outstanding indebtedness from 2 lipid companies

In related news, the national authorities has recovered outstanding revenues of $19.241.109.34 from 2 lipid companies.

The companies see Chorus Energy, which paid a indebtedness of $847,632 and Seplat which paid $18.39 million.

The indebtedness recoveries were made successful March 2025 and remitted to the Federation Account.

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Source: Legit.ng