The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has decried the high influx of Indians in the oil and gas industry in the country.

PENGASSAN said Indians are taking over low-level jobs in the oil and gas industry in blatant abuse of the expatriate quota system.

PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo raised the concern at the closing of the 3rd edition of the three-day Energy and Labour Summit in Abuja on Friday, August 23, 2024.

Osifo said the increasing dominance of expatriates, particularly Indian nationals in the sector, was alarming.

He stated: “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 vulcanizers, you have Indians carrying out such low jobs and functions in all their plants as operators and some are even gatekeeping operators.”

Osifo said PENGASSAN has been engaging the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to address the issue but to no avail.

The PENGASSAN boss added: “Today, Nigerians are looking for jobs; our graduates who are out from the universities are looking for work to do.

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“But we keep granting expatriate quota to these Indian companies and they have abused it.”

Osifo alleged that the companies have manipulated the system by registering numerous Shell companies to facilitate the influx of expatriates.

He said they have registered over 200 companies to perpetrate the act.

Osifo noted: “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 board.”

He further stated that PENGASSAN had engaged in extensive stakeholder discussions over the past two years to address the issue without result.

“What is left for us might probably be a 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,” the PENGASSAN President added.

Osifo disclosed that the number of Indian nationals employed at Indorama’s facilities in Port Harcourt surpasses that of Nigerians.

He said they were paid in dollars while Nigerian workers grappled with the effects of currency devaluation.

“This situation is unacceptable and it must be addressed now,” Osifo said.

He, therefore, called on the federal government to act fast and to protect Nigerian workers’ rights and opportunities.

The Star