NAPO petitions Senate over alleged NLNG Train-7 contractors’ alleged slave labour

Workers at the Daewoo E&C site of the Nigeria LNG Limited Train 7 project in Bonny Island, Rivers State protesting against violation of their rights.

A petition has been submitted to the Nigerian Senate and other relevant Committees by the National Association of Plants Operators, NAPO, requesting to be joined in the ongoing probe into the activities of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG Train-7 and its contractors

President of NAPO, Comrade Harold Benstowe, who made a copy of the petition to CAPITAL POST in Abuja, decried the exploitation of Nigerian workers in the construction project and alleged that workers on the project site were being treated like “slaves” with poor working conditions, while facing harassment and brutality by security personnel.

The petition which was addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Obot Akpabio, was at the backdrop of investigation of activities of the mega project by some relevant committees of the upper and lower legislative chambers.

The multi-billion dollar Nigeria LNG Train-7 gas plant construction project is situated in Bonny Island, Rivers State in the South South, Nigeria.

The union claims that the project’s contractors, Saipem and Daewoo, have exaggerated the number of workers on site, threatening to release videos and pictures showing the deplorable conditions and mistreatment of workers.
Benstowe in the petition raised several concerns, including, the need for a fair hearing, emphasizing that the probe will not be fair if they are not allowed to participate and present their side of the story.

NAPO also challenged the numbers presented by Nigeria LNG and its contractors, Saipem and Daewoo, which they believe are exaggerated.

The petition reads in part, “The ongoing probe on Nigeria LNG Train-7 project will not be viewed as fair hearing, if parties on the other side of the divide are not part of the probe to speak for themselves as the question raised by Senator Natasha Akpoti on the 13th of June during the hearing affects NAPO members as stakeholders in the project.

“It is imperative that NAPO as the authentic trade union chosen by the workers to be part of the probe, unearth the truth about the real conditions of the Nigeria LNG Train 7 Project.

“NAPO challenges the irrational variations in the astronomical exaggerated number of workers on the project site by Nigeria LNG and contractors Saipem Contracting Nigeria, Daewoo Engineering Construction Nigeria in the NLNG Train-7 Gas Plant Construction Project.

“What we have on site are not decent employees right now but less than 5,000 Nigerian slaves working with military guns on their backs like in the slave trade era of the colonialists.

“We shall show videos of financially induced Nigerian security personnel’s harassment of workers and pictures of victims of Police and military brutality on Nigerian construction workers.

“NAPO is standing up for her right to be part of the probe as NAPO informative facts are very important to set the records straight.”