The National Executive Council of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria has condemned the National Oil Corporation of Brazil operating in the oil and gas sector of Nigeria under the name of Petrobras Nigeria Limited, otherwise as Petróleo Brasileiro Nigeria Limited, for locking out Nigerian employees under the excuse of furthering the divestment of its stake in some Nigerian oil blocks valued at N795 billion ($5 billion).
PENGASSAN, in a statement on Tuesday, said: “Petrobras as a corporate personality including its management in Nigeria must respect due process and rule of law and ensure that the parent body of the organized labour in Petrobras, which is PENGASSAN is adequately engaged in accordance with the provisions of our extant national and labour laws, and the industry best practices before the plan divestment is finalized and as part of the process of consummating due diligence on Petrobras. Such exercise goes a long way to minimize the harrowing incidence of contingent liabilities and hindrances for the Divesting Company, Petrobras, and the Divestee that would acquire Petrobras assets and portfolios in Nigeria.
“Prior to this publication, informal and formal moves and efforts were made by PENGASSAN National Secretariat which engaged the top management of the Company to hear them out where we advised the management.
“Regrettably, the game changer was noted to be connected with the new offshore pre-salt oil discovered in the deep water of about 125 miles off the coast of Rio de Janeiro which is expected to yield about 35 billion barrels of recoverable oil equivalent, which is more than double Brazil’s existing reserves. As media sources put it, it is to assist the company redirects investment towards higher return activities such as exploration and production to finance a five-year capital spending plan gearing to its pre-salt find.
“Today, Nigeria public have seen how even the Government of Nigeria has tarried to respect the adherence of due process and rule of law with Labour in the Electricity Sector as it attempt to privatize Government holdings and interest in energy generation, distribution and marketing. It is therefore un-imaginable that Petrobras can take PENGASSAN for a ride.
“PENGASSAN National Secretariat forewarned the MD of Petrobras and was severally advised but he boasted that he is being backed by some lawyers and people in authority to attempt the suicidal approach of undermining due process, rule of law and industry practice, ostensibly to his own peril and to the detriment of the new company that will acquire its stake in the Nigeria Oil and Gas industry.
“We are aware that Petrobras is making moves to divert attention by deluding the informed public that it is discontinuing with its divestment plan.
“We demand that the company should make a clear public statement on this rethink by telling the world that it has recalled all the employees so anticipated to be affected by the divestment.In addition to the above, Petrobras currently has a social pact between a multinational company and a Global Union Federation that puts in place the very highest standards regarding trade union and human rights, health, safety, and environmental practices, and quality of work principles across all of a company’s global operation
“We, PENGASSAN, is sure that the government cannot afford to allow the disdain that Petrobras and its management has for due process and rule of law at this time that Nigerians and the international community have started having confidence in the government. We will not hesitate to evolve all legal and legitimate power within our reach to ensure that Petrobras and its management follow due process in the divestment.”
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