Nigerian Welders Association (NWA) and Fitters Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (FISSAN), has shut down the welding operations at Ogini Oil field in Isoko North LGA, Delta State operated by Sterling Global over non-compliance with indigenisation law and local content policy.
The protesters from NWA and FISSAN, who carried placards with inscriptions such as ”Indian welders/fitters must go”, ” Sterling Global must stop telling lies’”, ” Obey Nigerian local content recruitment law” on Monday, accused the management of Sterling Global of neglect especially in the engagement of Indian welders and filters while abandoning the locals.
The union called on President Bola Tinubu and Governor Sherriff Oborevwori of Delta State to call to order the management of the company to repatriate the Indian welders, fitters and helpers to their country to maintain the existing industrial harmony in the state.
Delta State chairman of NWA Zone B, Comrade Eseoghene Odima and chairman, Delta State FISSAN, Comrade Friday Atiemoh who were flanked by the National NWA PRO, Comrade Thomas Mebuliaghanje; FISSAN National Secretary, Comrade Morrister Udibra and other top officials of both bodies warned that except Sterling Global stops welding operations with the Indian welders and fitters and employ them to do the job. They vowed to do everything within the ambit of the law to crumble the firms pipeline laying job in Isoko axis of the state.
They maintained that they have enough qualified welders and fitters to do the job which the Indians are doing, just as they noted, they have done similar major welding and fitting jobs for various firms in the country.
According to them. “The local content law of the company’s 40 per cent workforce recruitment slot is for Nigerians and not foreigners, except on specialty areas where the country cannot field such personnel(s)”
Meanwhile, we could not get the reaction of the firm as no staff was willing to address the protesters or the press at the company’s site.”
