On April 12, 2019, when Ernest Ivie Omo-Ojo got a letter of suspension from Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (a subsidiary of ExxonMobil), it never crossed his mind that he would not be stepping into the imposing Mobil House on Lekki Expressway, Victoria Island, Lagos as a staff. While arbitration by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) was ongoing between the employer and employee, Omo-Ojo received a letter terminating his employment on June 24, 2019.

Termination of employment in the Nigerian oil sector is regulated. Going by the provisions of the Guidelines for the Release of Staff in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry, 2019, an employer that wishes to terminate the contract of an employee is required to obtain the approval of the Minister of Petroleum Resources. The application for the minister’s approval is made in writing to the Director of Petroleum Resources of the DPR. The letter should indicate the manner of release, the reasons for the proposed release, the compensation due to the employee, and any proposed replacement of the employee.

According to the guidelines, the DPR shall conduct an inquiry into the circumstances of the proposed staff release and decide on whether to convey the minister’s approval or otherwise.

Besides obtaining the approval of the minister, employers in the Nigerian Oil and Gas sector are also required to notify the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board of any proposed termination.

Read more here https://guardian.ng/opinion/letters/citizen-omo-ojo-v-exxonmobil-a-case-of-wilful-and-flagrant-abuse-of-the-regulations-of-dpr/