By Bukola Kayode
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) says it has continually ensured that qualified Nigerian personnel are employed for leadership and technical positions in international and indigenous oil and gas companies.
This is as the agency in a statement issued by its Communications Department, said it deployed measures to ensure compliance by Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO).
NCDMB said it has strictly implemented and enforced the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010, particularly the Expatriate Quota, Succession Plan and Deployment of Expatriates Guidelines and Expatriate Work Temporary Work Permit Guidelines.
The agency noted the comments made by the President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Mr. Festus Osifo, during the union’s recent protest at the headquarters of Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO), at Victoria Island, Lagos, over alleged anti-labour practices and expatriate abuses by the company.
NCDMB also commended the PENGASSAN leader for acknowledging that qualified Nigerian personnel are occupying top leadership and technical positions in most international and indigenous operating oil and gas companies, and are performing creditably in those roles.
The agency in response to the concerns raised by Osifo said that it sanctioned SEEPCO a few years ago for gross violations of the NOGICD Act. NCMB also disclosed that it has been engaging the company for the same reasons.
The agency outlined some of its regulatory engagements with the firm.
The statement read in part: “In 2017, the NCDMB identified five expatriates deployed by SEEPCO without obtaining the relevant NCDMB approvals. As a result, NCDMB penalized the company for this non-compliant deployment of expatriates. To remediate this, SEEPCO trained five Nigerians in Marine Engineering and Subsurface Drilling Engineering for nine months.
“In 2018, NCDMB identified 402 expatriates deployed by SEEPCO without approval. Additionally, NCDMB discovered projects, contracts, and purchase orders from multiple projects that were awarded and executed without appropriate approvals. NCDMB penalized SEEPCO for these infractions and directed SEEPCO and its affiliates to take the following actions”
According to the statement, NCDMB. also directed that the firm disengage the 402 expatriates and provide evidence of their disengagement and exit to the Board. That SEEPCO also commences and complies with the NCDMB Expatriate Quota application process.
Other directives to SEEPCO includes that it complies with the Board’s requirements for tendering and awarding projects, contracts, and purchase orders, complete the Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF) reconciliation exercise and pay outstanding remittances.
NCDMB also directed SEEPCO to submit up-to-date statutory reports on Nigerian Content and comply with the review process, train and employ 40 Nigerians as part of the remediation/penalty.
However, NCDMB expressed regret that SEEPCO ignored those directives until the Board commenced legal proceedings against the firm, in line with section 68 of the NOGICD Act.
As it stands, the Board has requested for the statutory submissions from SEEPCo and scheduled performance review session for March 2025.
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