The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has vowed to attack Chevron Oil Company; an American multinational energy corporation over non-payment of dockworkers and engaging unqualified seafarers without the knowledge of the vendors who are meant to provide them with seafarers.
Speaking on Thursday when the union shut down the seaports in the country due to non-payment of dock workers by the International Oil Companies (IOCs) the Deputy Secretary General, MWUN Com. Abudu Eroje informed that Chevron oil company have been short-changing the Federal Government by operating illegally offshore.
According to him “this has been on since last year, I think June last year the ministry of transport through Nigeria Port Authority awarded stevedoring contract for stevedores who engage the services of dock workers to work in line with NIMASA Act of 2007 which says that only stevedores, registered worker will work in conventional ports, jetties terminals and oil platforms.
“And the IOCs fell into this category of oil platform and since these set of contractors stevedores were appointed they refused to pay them and even refused to honour their bills and all efforts we have put in place to make sure they see reasons failed, even NPA on their own part have tried their best because in February 2018 the Executive Director of marine and operation Dr Sekonte Davies organized a stakeholder forum at Victoria crown hotel in Lagos, where this information was given out, they cited the relevant laws the IOCs, Mobil, Chevron everybody was there but surprisingly they refused to comply and you know what we are talking about people who do their operation offshore fifty nautical miles, some twenty nautical mile and when they berth a vessel there's no third party it's only them and with this security situation we have in this country proliferation of arms is possible
He alleged that Chevron is short changing the government by the way they are running their operations.
“if somebody should berth a vessel at fifty nautical miles with no stevedores and nobody is there to checkmate them then the government is losing revenue because it is whatever they declare that is cleared and that is why the stevedores have to be there to discharge and in fact Chevron don't pay the oil workers and some of this dockworkers engaged by the stevedores have died some don't have money to take care of their immediate needs and their families.
“So two weeks ago we issued two weeks automaton to the permanent secretary ministry of transport because there is no minister for now and the automaton expired 28 of June that's last week. we issued another reminder a three days reminder that by the close of the day yesterday which was 2nd of July if nothing is done we will shut down operation in the whole nation seaports and shut down the services and that is exactly what we've done.
“As we speak, Chevron is one of the culprits with highest number of impunity they do not obey the law of this country even the seafarers they supposed to engage through vendors (service provider) are not engaged
“Chevron goes to the street and give whoever community workers who are not qualified seafarers and NIMASA have trained over 4,000 officers have no work, Chevron keeps cutting corners in fact after this strike we are going to face Chevron squarely they have their operational base, logistics base in a new port so if they can be cheating government as we speak they operates around Agbami oil well and they more than seven vessel all Chinese crude.
He said all efforts to ensure that Chevron comply to the labour laws did not yield any result even wity NIMASA intervention.
“All efforts to talk to them failed even NIMASA cannot prevail on them to do anything so this is where we are. So if by the grace of God the government intervenes and maybe they see reasons we will then think otherwise may be to call off the strike”, he said.
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