Senate Warns IOCs Against Abuse Of Regulations

The Senate Committee on Local Content, yesterday, warned the International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the country of grave consequences of continued abuse and disregard to Nigeria’s diving regulations and disrespect to constituted authorities of government.
The committee equally vented its anger on the Ministry of Labour and Productivity as it walked out on the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Yerim Tarfa, who stood in for the minister, Dr. Chris Ngige.
Representatives of the Chief Executive Officers of IOCs, including those of Chevron Nigeria Limited, ExxonMobil and Total Nigeria Limited, among others, were also asked to leave the investigative hearing on the alleged abuse of extant regulations on the premise that it was disrespectful of the companies to send staff lower than the MDs’ rank to the Senate.
The Chairman of the Senate committee, Senator Teslim Folarin, who gave the marching orders at the hearing in the National Assembly complex, said the Federal Government could no longer tolerate such acts of sabotage in a sector, he said, was worth about $1billion annually.
According to him, the hearing was targeted at addressing the inherent shortcomings associated with the diving sector in the country following a motion titled: “Urgent need to ensure strict compliance with statutory regulations and provisions regarding the Nigerian diving sector and also to urge the Federal Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity to as a matter of urgency, inaugurate the Diving Advisory Board to ensure the regulation of its operation in the sector.”
The former Senate leader, therefore, declared that it was utterly condescending and a show of monumental disrespect for the institution of the National Assembly for the invited CEOs of the companies and the minister to delegate other officers to represent them at the hearing.
He lamented that while the Schedule to the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, provided that in order to encourage local participation in all aspects of oil operations, 70 per cent of Diving or Submersible operations, must go to Nigerians, the reverse has been the case.
Folarin lamented that while the Federal Government spends huge funds in training divers annually, the IOCs have continued to deny Nigerian divers employment by engaging foreign divers for their operations.
According to Folarin, such actions of the IOCs in denying Nigerian divers jobs contributed to the growing unemployment in the labour market, part of which led to the recent #EndSARS protests and other forms of agitations across the country.
The lawmaker said the plight of local divers was further worsened by the minister, who hitherto neglected to inaugurate the Divers Advisory Board all these while only to hurriedly inaugurate the board few days ago after the summons.
He emphasised that the board was meant to regulate and oversee the activities of divers in the country.

By: Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja