Content Board To Check Poaching

The Executive Secretary of Nigerian Development Management Board (NCDMB), Engr Ernest Nwapa has said that sending Nigerians on attachments or posting them overseas would not pose a problem since the board’s Joint Qualification System (JQS) is in place to manage the process.

Nwapa told The Tide in a telephone interview that since employees would no longer be bonded, the board’s approach in funding the industry, training and attachment programmes would eliminate the impact.

According to him, Section 56 of the NOGICD Act 2010 states that the Joint Qualification System shall constitute an industry data bank of available capabilities and shall be used for sole system for Nigerian content registration and pre-qualification of contractors in the industry among other provisions.

The Act, he added, mandates operators to have employment and training plans which encourage the hiring and training of operators as well as check anticipated skill shortages in the Nigeria Labour force among others.

It would be recalled that the Petroleum Technology Association of  Nigeria (PETAN), an umbrella body of all indigenous oil service companies in the country had decried the illegal poaching and export of Nigerian workers trained by indigenous oil companies.

PETAN’s Financial Secretary, Chris Onyekwere alleged that Multinational Service Companies refuse to train their Nigerian members, but wait until they are trained by indigenous firms and thereafter the multinationals poach and transfer them to their overseas base.

Onyekwere urged the government to protect Nigerian citizens against economic sabotage to realise the aims and objectives of the Nigerian Content Act.

As he puts it, the Nigerian Content Act and government’s commitment to it had accelerated the building of indigenous capacity in terms of skills acquisition technology transfer and excellent service delivery, pointing out that some multinational companies are strategically concluding plans geared towards destabilising any Nigerian indigenous company which has become a key player and with high competitive edge in the industry.

Nwapa said multinationals embark on poaching as a measure to debilitate local upcoming indigenous companies in a bid to weaken competition in the industry.

He pleaded with NCDMB, Nigerian Content Division of NNPC; PETAN and the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) not to watch their efforts being thwarted and urged the NCDMB to investigate the matter.

Vivian –Peace Nwinaene