Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Wednesday faulted its non inclusion in the National Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) stakeholders conference.
This is contained in a statement signed by NUPENG President, Mr Igwe Achese in Lagos.
It said that the union was disappointed that NCDMB excluded NUPENG and PENGASSAN from its just concluded stakeholders’ conference.
“The union frowns and condemns in its entirety the action of the content board to single out the two unions in the oil and gas industry, who are major stakeholders in the sector.
“NUPENG was in the forefront for the struggle to make the local content bill a reality and today it is being excluded in the discussions of the affairs that affect the human capital,’’ it said.
The statement said that the ideals and purpose of setting up the board had not been realised.
“It is a shame today that the level of success expected of the board has not been met.
“The board has failed to call indigenous firms who are benefiting from the Local Content Act to stop enslaving their workers who are Nigerians,’’ it said.
It added that the board had also failed to fish out indigenous firms operating in the sector who were fronting for foreign firms, adding, “it makes the act a nullity’’.
“These foreign firms invest in fabrication and other local content tools used in the oil and gas industry, using Nigerians as fronts.
“This whole exercise negates the principle behind the Local Content Act and these firms have many expatriate workers doing jobs that qualified Nigerians can do,’’ it said.
