The Federal Government has warned oil and gas firms against the illegal use of manpower supply permits to employ expatriates in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
The Ministry of Interior, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board and the Department of Petroleum Resources, in a joint statement, said manpower supply companies issued statutory permits to supply only Nigerian professionals were engaged by operators and contractors to supply expatriates.
They said, “The permits clearly indicate that they are not to be used to deploy expatriates under any circumstance or guise.
“It is also disturbing that operators and major service providers promote this illegal practice by entering into contract agreements with these manpower supply companies to source expatriates for positions earmarked to be occupied by Nigerians.”
According to the statement, this practice circumvents statutory approval processes and compliance requirements for obtaining expatriate quota positions.
It said, “Companies engaging manpower suppliers with permits for supply of ‘Nigerian professionals only’ are to ensure that no expatriates are deployed under such manpower supply contracts under any guise.
“Companies seeking to engage expatriates in the Nigerian oil and gas industry must ensure that they obtain the relevant approvals from the NCDMB before applying for expatriate quota, TWP or other entry permits from the Ministry of Interior, the Nigeria Immigration Service or other agencies of government.”
It said companies deploying expatriates should ensure full compliance with the guidelines and requirements of the Ministry of Interior and the NCDMB, including registration on the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System and biometrics enrolment of all expatriate personnel in their employ.
The statement said, “The NCDMB will intensify its monitoring and evaluation activities to identify companies violating the statutory provisions of the DPR manpower supply permits and perpetuating illegal expatriate deployments, with a view to invoking appropriate sanctions and penalties.
“Companies in the oil and gas sector intending to apply for expatriate quota positions should submit and process their applications to the board by registering and applying on the NOGICJQS portals.”
