Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The House of Reps Committee on Public Petitions has summoned the Project Manager, Daewoo Engineering and Construction Limited, and the Project Manager of Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited to appear before it over alleged torture and intimidation of Nigerian workers engaged in the construction of NLNG Train-7 project in Bonny Island, Rivers State.
Recall that there has been a protracted industrial crisis between the NLNG Train-7 EPC firm, Daewoo Engineering and Construction Limited, and its employees under the aegis of National Association of Plant Operators, NAPO, who are demanding for fair labour practices in line with international best practices from the South Korean firm.
National President of NAPO, Mr. Harold Benstowe, and other members of the union in october 2022 were arrested, incarcerated and arraigned over alleged obstruction of work; the arrest which NAPO accused Daewoo of using security agencies to intimidate Nigerian workers, instead of paying the workers their entitlements.
Meanwhile, the Reps Committee has also summoned the Managing Director of Evomec Global Services, and the Managing Director of Cico Construction and Leasing Company to appeared before it on Tuesday May 2nd, 2023, over the same matter.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Jerry Alagbaoso, in a letter sighted by our correspondent, said the summon is imperative following the petition brought before it by the National Association of Plant Operators, NAPO.
The petition cited the use of military, Police, the Department of State Services and other security agencies by the above mentioned foreign and local construction firms to harass, intimidate and torture Nigerian workers under the aegis of NAPO.
Alagbaoso urged all those summoned to appear before the Committee in person, with 10 copies of their brief, and warned that failure to attend the hearing on the said date, the case will be heard and determined in their absence.
The letter reads in part, “Whereas the above-named petition is now pending before this Committee and the particulars of the petition aforesaid are already within your knowlegde, and whereas, the petition has been assigned to be heard by the Committee for determination.
“You are hereby required to note Sections 88 and 89 (C) of our constitution (as amended) and appear in person before this Committee on Tuesday 2nd day of May 2023 at 2:00pm or so soon thereafter as the Commitee shall direct.
“You are to submit one soft and 10 hard copies of your brief on the matter. And further take notice that if you do not attend the hearing as required, the case may be heard or determined in your absence,” the Reps Committee said.
NAPO has always accused the Nigeria LNG Limited, of being a part of “an inglorious human slavery being perpetrated by their contractors, Daewoo and Saipem, in the construction of the (NLNG) Train-7 project.”
NAPO President, Harold Benstowe, said contracts for NLNG Train-7 project was negotiated and awarded with international scale and wondered why the contractors and the project owners were not applying international standards in the payment of salaries and wages to Nigerians working on the project.
Benstowe challenged the management of NLNG to provide the salary benchmark for workers as negotiated in the contracts, while wondering why Daewoo was bent on spending money on litigation and to induce security agencies instead of paying Nigerian workers their entitlements.
