OpeOluwani Akintayo
04 September 2018, Sweetcrude, Lagos — The Operator of the Lagos free trade zone, Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics, LADOL, Base has locked Samsung Heavy Industries, SHI, out of its yard, SweetCrudeReports has gathered.
Information at our disposal is that LADOL made the move following the expiration of Samsung Heavy Industries’ operating license.
Going by the laws of the Free Trade Zone, no enterprise can operate once its license expires, and expatriates in Nigeria on Free Zone visas have to leave the country, ‘Samsung had to be shown the way out’.
It was gathered that prior to the expiration of its operating license, LADOL gave SHI-MCI ample opportunity to comply with Nigerian laws, however, the company failed to leave the yard.
“Unfortunately they refused to do this and continued to breach several Nigerian laws, including those around local content and conditions of service for their Nigerian staff,” a source said.
“Government staff in LADOL reported that Samsung has always behaved as if it is above the laws of Nigeria. All the government agencies in the zone have had to raise serious issues with them on several occasions – most recently due to serious import and immigration violations”.
SweetCrudeReports also learnt Samsung is currently under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board, NCDMB and the SSS for fraud.
On the matter of the operating license, we learnt SHI MCI FZE has taken the Free Zone Management and by extension NEPZA to court, and until this matter is settled in court and SHI MCI FZE fully complies with Nigerian law, a new license can not be issued.
