Some Nigerians working with an American oil and gas service firm, Weatherford International have raised the alarm over gross abuse of local laws and sharp practices being perpetrated by the Nigerian subsidiary of the company, Weatherford Nigeria, against them. A source at the company, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said the firm has carried on with many anti-Nigerian policies such as mass sack on flimsy excuses and appointment of a foreigner as Country Manager in clear violation of Nigerian Local Content Act, which is one of the significant developments aimed at localizing management and control of oil and gas industry.

The source said apart from the fact that there were many qualified Nigerians capable of running the firm as Country Manager, the foreigner who was appointed, Manuel Hernandez from Venezuela, came into Nigeria via Business Visa and has been working as an expatriate without the necessary work permit. Going down history of the firm, the source said a Nigerian, Femi Thomas was appointed as Country Manager of the company and was there for about two years before he was redeployed as Vice President for Africa, while another Nigerian, Femi Akarikiri was appointed to succeed him, only for the said Akarikiri to be demoted after just a year in office and replaced with Hernandez.

According to the source, “The first issue is that this is not an industry where you can claim there are no qualified Nigerians for the job because oil and gas industry in Nigeria is fully sophisticated. Number two is that for the fact that you have had Nigerians in that position, the position has been nationalized and so you cannot go back and revert to say that you now need to bring an expatriate. “The third issue is that you lay off a lot of Nigerians because you claim the industry is bad and you have no money to pay but yet the question is how can you afford to pay expatriates if you have laid off Nigerians who earn a fraction of what the expatriates earn? “By the time you look at that picture, what you see is a company that does not have any commitment to Nigeria or any respect to the ideals of the country.

They want to get paid, they want to drill for oil, they want to make money, but where is the growth for Nigerians in that process? The average Nigerian employee in the company earn less than $1,000 a month, but the average expatriate earns $20, 000 a month or more. How can you afford one expatriate if you lay off Nigerians on the basis that you can’t afford to pay them,” the source queried. Already, the source said the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has been notified of the development, but that there was great need to raise alarm over mass sack of over 100 Nigerians and other deliberate plot of the company against Nigerians for prompt action by the Nigerian government and other key stakeholders.

Another credible source, who equally does not want to be named, said as part of the plot to sideline Nigerians from the management of the company, the said Akarikiri was demoted from Country Manager to sales role in a market where there is nothing to sell, adding that the development was purely orchestrated to eventually fire him. He added that in another scheme to disguise the actual intention of sidelining Nigerians in the affairs of the company, a Nigerian who was on international assignment in Ivory Coast was brought in on the promise of being attached to the said Hernandez, but he was surprisingly moved to Port Harcourt and put in a lesser role from what he was doing in Ivory Coast.

He said the expatriates that were purportedly fired alongside Nigerians were offered jobs in other countries, while Nigerians were left with nothing. “The truth is this same company has been sued in the past by former directors for sham board practices and as we speak, there are a number of others contemplating suing them. Well meaning Nigerians should be careful of doing business with them and they should not be allowed to continue to benefit where they are shortchanging Nigerians,” the source said. As at the time of filling this report, several calls made to the Company Secretary/Legal Counsel, Lara Falashe and text messages for reaction were unanswered, while the calls were not returned.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/11/workers-accuse-american-oil-firm-violating-local-content-act/

---

I'll come and read later

Same olè same olè. It's not just the Chinese , Indians or Lebanese who are well known to maltreat us in our land, every fvcking country maltreats us and yet gets away with it.
Nigeria is really a mess.
These are the sort of cases the Minister of Labour, the Senate committee on Labour and House AD hoc committee should take particular interest in.
Our obsolete labour laws need to be looked at such that it would guarantee natural progression for Nigerians overtime.

Owk

I thank God for today. i

I love it when we speak out. We are also human not animals

Too lazy to comment

Westerners only exploit. That's Y they only get involved in countries with oil. Zimbabwe has nothing to offer dats Y Mugabe has been there for so long..

I can't believe this..... federal government have to look into it. cos am among d ppl that benefits from this law. so,govt should put their search lights on this companies.

This is just so sad . Mass retrenchment of Nigerian employees on the basis of inability to pay salaries and yet you bring in a so called white man expstraits earning 20k dollars /month and yet you can't pay 1k dollar for our indigeouous employee.Nigerian labour law act is just a mess . There has to be a limit on so called expatriates coming in to work here when indigenous hands a capable.

Problem with most Nigerians is that we want something handled to us on a platter just because we're Nigerians. I love to be managed by a white boss than a Nigerian boss.I have had both as line managers but I enjoyed working under my white boss because he didn't use my career development to play while the black boss did the opposite. He's keen on saving for the company by cutting down training expenses at the expense of my own growth and development so he could get promotion for cutting cost. Mtcheew. There are wonderful black bosses no doubt but I'll choose a white boss over black anytime.

Sue them!!

akinszz:
Some Nigerians working with an American oil and gas service firm, Weatherford International have raised the alarm over gross abuse of local laws and sharp practices being perpetrated by the Nigerian subsidiary of the company, Weatherford Nigeria, against them. A source at the company, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said the firm has carried on with many anti-Nigerian policies such as mass sack on flimsy excuses and appointment of a foreigner as Country Manager in clear violation of Nigerian Local Content Act, which is one of the significant developments aimed at localizing management and control of oil and gas industry.

The source said apart from the fact that there were many qualified Nigerians capable of running the firm as Country Manager, the foreigner who was appointed, Manuel Hernandez from Venezuela, came into Nigeria via Business Visa and has been working as an expatriate without the necessary work permit. Going down history of the firm, the source said a Nigerian, Femi Thomas was appointed as Country Manager of the company and was there for about two years before he was redeployed as Vice President for Africa, while another Nigerian, Femi Akarikiri was appointed to succeed him, only for the said Akarikiri to be demoted after just a year in office and replaced with Hernandez.

According to the source, “The first issue is that this is not an industry where you can claim there are no qualified Nigerians for the job because oil and gas industry in Nigeria is fully sophisticated. Number two is that for the fact that you have had Nigerians in that position, the position has been nationalized and so you cannot go back and revert to say that you now need to bring an expatriate. “The third issue is that you lay off a lot of Nigerians because you claim the industry is bad and you have no money to pay but yet the question is how can you afford to pay expatriates if you have laid off Nigerians who earn a fraction of what the expatriates earn? “By the time you look at that picture, what you see is a company that does not have any commitment to Nigeria or any respect to the ideals of the country.

They want to get paid, they want to drill for oil, they want to make money, but where is the growth for Nigerians in that process? The average Nigerian employee in the company earn less than $1,000 a month, but the average expatriate earns $20, 000 a month or more. How can you afford one expatriate if you lay off Nigerians on the basis that you can’t afford to pay them,” the source queried. Already, the source said the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has been notified of the development, but that there was great need to raise alarm over mass sack of over 100 Nigerians and other deliberate plot of the company against Nigerians for prompt action by the Nigerian government and other key stakeholders.

Another credible source, who equally does not want to be named, said as part of the plot to sideline Nigerians from the management of the company, the said Akarikiri was demoted from Country Manager to sales role in a market where there is nothing to sell, adding that the development was purely orchestrated to eventually fire him. He added that in another scheme to disguise the actual intention of sidelining Nigerians in the affairs of the company, a Nigerian who was on international assignment in Ivory Coast was brought in on the promise of being attached to the said Hernandez, but he was surprisingly moved to Port Harcourt and put in a lesser role from what he was doing in Ivory Coast.

He said the expatriates that were purportedly fired alongside Nigerians were offered jobs in other countries, while Nigerians were left with nothing. “The truth is this same company has been sued in the past by former directors for sham board practices and as we speak, there are a number of others contemplating suing them. Well meaning Nigerians should be careful of doing business with them and they should not be allowed to continue to benefit where they are shortchanging Nigerians,” the source said. As at the time of filling this report, several calls made to the Company Secretary/Legal Counsel, Lara Falashe and text messages for reaction were unanswered, while the calls were not returned.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/11/workers-accuse-american-oil-firm-violating-local-content-act/

Baker Hughes Nigeria is the worst

Something needs to be done about all these foreign companies coming here to shortchange Nigerians. This is the 2nd time I am reading about this on Nairaland. First it was Huawai and now its Weatherford International. This injustice should be investigated and the company sanctioned if found guilty.

What is the job of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, what are our Labour and Trade Union doing about this, what happened to all our Human Right lawyers (I guess all they chase after are cases that have the potential of giving them publicity).

This needs to stop. Our House of Reps and Senate will not order an investigation into this, all they care about is Constituency projects money and allowances and make empty noise on the floor of the house.

Nigerian youths need to wake up and fight for their rights as citizen. These people should not treat us as trash in their country and get away with it and still come here to treat us the same way in our country and still get away with it.

Nigerians, wake up!!!!!

This is actually regrettable but they should thank God because their own experience is nothing to compare with what Chinese guys residing at Oriental Hotels Lagos are currently doing to Nigerians.

If you know these Chinese guys hit like. They don't know who they are..
.

AdemolaA2:
This is just so sad . Mass retrenchment of Nigerian employees on the basis of inability to pay salaries and yet you bring in a so called white man expstraits earning 20k dollars /month and yet you can't pay 1k dollar for our indigeouous employee.Nigerian labour law act is just a mess . There has to be a limit on so called expatriates coming in to work here when indigenous hands a capable.

This is the issue! This is why American voted for Trump! We can't have so much work space here and foreigners will be taking them all in our land.
Let go back to regional government! !
1. You can't just enter my region without passport.
Imagine the Venezuelan does not possess working permit document, what kind of country is this?
2. If the people of one region haven't gotten job enough, there is no job for outsiders.
Trump said this.
3. We will have active labour management organization.
4. Local law will be active, not this sham Nigeria agencies that they are not ready to work.
5. We will be able to checkmate those white and albinos of there documents, those with expired visa will be deported back to there countries.
Please let go back to regional government or outright division of the country o.
I can't be reading this type of news always,
Bottom of it [ Nigeria is not working! ]

ColonelDrake:
Problem with most Nigerians is that we want something handled to us on a platter just because we're Nigerians. I love to be managed by a white boss than a Nigerian boss.I have had both as line managers but I enjoyed working under my white boss because he didn't use my career development to play while the black boss did the opposite. He's keen on saving for the company by cutting down training expenses at the expense of my own growth and development so he could get promotion for cutting cost. Mtcheew. There are wonderful black boss no doubt but I'll choose a white boss over black anytime.

Not just training expenses even salary sef bonuses
Funny enough if you investigate this story you will discover that its the Nigerians at the top that are behind the mass sackin, salary slash etc. Oyinbo will come with hos own idea.. Nigerians will advise him not to pay so much.. oyinbo is a businessman what do u expect

Nobody has the righ to treat you like trash until u give him that chance.
From my experiences working in several foreign Organizations I have concluded that Nigerians have a huge problem. We have this slave mentalityalways rushing to please the oyinbo. 5-6 Nigerians can be working peacfully the moment one oyinbo man steps into the picture next they start gossiping about each other to the oyinbo try to out do each other even work to undermine their fellow Nigerian's work so as to curry favours from the foreigner. Investigate this story and Im sure Nigerians are the ones making these fùcked up decisions. If I talk about my experienvlces I fit start another thread.

If he can not perform well in sales role, what makes the workers feel he would float well as country manager?

Lol, they said in an industry where there is nothing to sell! That's why the technology owners don't take us serious

Look at the kind of matters our Rep is supposed to discuss in the house rather they choose to talk about MMM THAT IS HELPING MILLIONS OF LIFES. USELESS UNSCRUPPLUS ELEMENTS AND BABOONS.

Ok

Emman93:


This is the issue! This is why American voted for Trump! We can't have so much work space here and foreigners will be taking them all in our land.
Let go back to regional government! !
1. You can't just enter my region without passport.
Imagine the Venezuelan does not possess working permit document, what kind of country is this?
2. If the people of one region haven't gotten job enough, there is no job for outsiders.
Trump said this.
3. We will have active labour management organization.
4. Local law will be active, not this sham Nigeria agencies that they are not ready to work.
5. We will be able to checkmate those white and albinos of there documents, those with expired visa will be deported back to there countries.
Please let go back to regional government or outright division of the country o.
I can't be reading this type of news always,
Bottom of it [ Nigeria is not working! ]

You're very right my brother ... a lot of irregularities would need to be put under checks and balance. The government has failed us in so many different ways. This issue of white albinos coming in wit out proper documentation earning huge pay without paying tax , cheating the indidenous qualified experts should be debated at the national assembly. Dino , ben bruCE should talk about these vices and stop acting a fool ..

ColonelDrake:
Problem with most Nigerians is that we want something handled to us on a platter just because we're Nigerians. I love to be managed by a white boss than a Nigerian boss.I have had both as line managers but I enjoyed working under my white boss because he didn't use my career development to play while the black boss did the opposite. He's keen on saving for the company by cutting down training expenses at the expense of my own growth and development so he could get promotion for cutting cost. Mtcheew. There are wonderful black bosses no doubt but I'll choose a white boss over black anytime.

I concur.

Babzilla:

Not just training expenses even salary sef bonuses
Funny enough if you investigate this story you will discover that its the Nigerians at the top that are behind the mass sackin, salary slash etc. Oyinbo will come with hos own idea.. Nigerians will advise him not to pay so much.. oyinbo is a businessman what do u expect

Yeah, you are right.

We are our own enemies.

Babzilla:

Not just training expenses even salary sef bonuses
Funny enough if you investigate this story you will discover that its the Nigerians at the top that are behind the mass sackin, salary slash etc. Oyinbo will come with hos own idea.. Nigerians will advise him not to pay so much.. oyinbo is a businessman what do u expect

Hahahahahaha... you hit the nail right on the head. From my folks in Schulumberger, Baker Hughes et al...the experience is the same. Such a pity! Black people black mentality..

ColonelDrake:
Problem with most Nigerians is that we want something handled to us on a platter just because we're Nigerians. I love to be managed by a white boss than a Nigerian boss.I have had both as line managers but I enjoyed working under my white boss because he didn't use my career development to play while the black boss did the opposite. He's keen on saving for the company by cutting down training expenses at the expense of my own growth and development so he could get promotion for cutting cost. Mtcheew. There are wonderful black bosses no doubt but I'll choose a white boss over black anytime.

You will not die well o Ni ku re...omo ale

nuti:


You will not die well o Ni ku re...omo ale

You come across as one of those I mentioned - who would deprive their employees benefits just to curry favor from top management, satisfy their greedy appetite for pryhhic gains and advance their own selfish agenda.
Anyway, you've been heard and your one minute of fame is over. You can now bounce off my mention.

This is why I love mugabe

Those shit head cannot do nonsense in Zimbabwe.

Bleep Nigerian Managers
They are the worst managers in the world. It is betther u have a non Blackman as a manager than a Blackman. Nigerians are are known with nepotism, Tribalism, Greed, and Wickednes.
Imagine bakerhughes Incorporated was rubished in Nigeria because of One Ayo Sote who used to be the Country Manager.
He diverted all workers emolument to himself and gave only his yoruba people juicy position. Alas he thought the whites are fools he was later sacked.
He connived with his brother Tayo to Kill Union.

Yorubas are the greatest Ethnist in Nigeriia work force they only want their families and brothers to grow in the work force denying others of promotion and Trainning.
Bleep Him for having being demoted , Weatherford plase dont let them rubbish you like they did to BAKERHUGHES. slumberger and others.
Afonjas stay clear of Oyibo companies and lokk inward to develop your own comnpany

Babzilla:

Not just training expenses even salary sef bonuses
Funny enough if you investigate this story you will discover that its the Nigerians at the top that are behind the mass sackin, salary slash etc. Oyinbo will come with hos own idea.. Nigerians will advise him not to pay so much.. oyinbo is a businessman what do u expect

I agree with you totally. Some of the Nigerian bosses will even tell to take it or leave it because there is no job in the country.

akinszz:
Some Nigerians working with an American oil and gas service firm, Weatherford International have raised the alarm over gross abuse of local laws and sharp practices being perpetrated by the Nigerian subsidiary of the company, Weatherford Nigeria, against them.

The average Nigerian employee in the company earn less than $1,000 a month, but the average expatriate earns $20, 000 a month or more. How can you afford one expatriate if you lay off Nigerians on the basis that you can’t afford to pay them,” the source queried. Already, the source said the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has been notified of the development, but that there was great need to raise alarm over mass sack of over 100 Nigerians and other deliberate plot of the company against Nigerians for prompt action by the Nigerian government and other key stakeholders.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/11/workers-accuse-american-oil-firm-violating-local-content-act/

These companies can only achieve this level of rescal behaviour in a useless country like Nigeria.

They can't even try it in African countries like Ghana, Angola, Ivory Coast, etc