The Federal Government of
Nigeria has suspended West African
Ventures (WAV) from participating in ongoing and future tenders in Nigeria’s
oil and gas industry for violating the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content
Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010, better known as the Nigerian Content Act.
The government has also
directed ExxonMobil Companies in Nigeria, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Total
E&P, Addax Petroleum and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to stop doing
business with the company because of their frequent and flagrant disregard of
the provisions of the NOGICD Act.
WAV is a provider of
offshore engineering, procurement, fabrication, installation and vessel charter
services in the oil and gas industry.
We however gathered
that the company allegedly violated the Nigerian Content law and also frustrated
President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts to build local capacity in the oil and gas
industry and create jobs for Nigerians.
In the letters addressed to
each of the managing directors of the international oil companies (IOCs), the
acting Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring
Board (NCDMB), Mr. Daziba Patrick Obah informed the IOCs that WAV had failed to
respond to the agency’s notices with adequate evidence to show compliance to
the Nigerian Content Act.
In his letter to the
Managing Director of ExxonMobil Companies in Nigeria, comprising Mobil
Producing Nigeria Unlimited and Esso Exploration & Production Nigeria
Limited, Obah said in view of WAV’s fragrant abuse of Nigerian laws, the agency
had no option than to initiate sanctions against the company.
The letter with reference
number NCDMB/ES/18/16 also directed ExxonMobil to suspend consideration of WAV
in ongoing and future tendering processes with immediate effect.
The NCDMB also sent similar
letters to Chevron Nigeria Limited with reference number: NCDMB/ES/17/16 dated
June 9, 2019, as well as Addax, Agip and Total.
The President of the
company, Mr. Jacques Roomans, was outside the country and messages sent to him
by THISDAY seeking the company’s official response were returned undelivered.
When contacted, the
Secretary to the President, Mr. Johnson Mgbemena, told THISDAY that the Company
Secretary would provide official response but no response was received despite
several reminders.
However, an official of the
company, who was not authorised to speak on the matter told THISDAY that the
company was collaborating with NCDMB to address the issues.
A source at NCDMB also
accused WAV of gross violations of Sections 28, 33 and 41 (2) of the NOGICD Act
2010 and deploying non-compliant assets and expatriates.
According to him, the
company is flooded with expatriates who do not have approvals from the board
and whose roles can easily be performed by Nigerians.
Credit:ThisDay
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