A foreign magazine IBtimes of February 24, 2010 reported that French oil giant Total is ready to invest $20 billion in Nigerian oil and gas development spread through energy markets in an unlikely bit of positive news for the beleaguered African producer.

The report went further to say that the company itself would only confirm investments of $7 billion, according to news agency reports, saying that the remaining portion would be from partners, who remained unnamed.

However, a tiny cabal is bent on sinking this huge investment directly or indirectly by putting the rest of Nigerians into a very bad image even worst than that of late Gen Abacha.
They are in the cadre similar to the military ranks of Captains, they cut across all divisions and departments of Total, while the Generals (DGMs, GMs and EGMs) are unaware of their agenda; they are busy with policy making while this tiny group’s mission is nothing but to sink this huge investment running to almost $20b.

The management of the company came up with a lofty idea of increasing its staff strength to cope with the coming expansion and to achieve this it resolved to convert the contract staff (presently on fixed-term contracts) that has weathered the storm to permanent staff.

The cabal led by one John Owofera perfected their plans weeks before the conversion exercise for Contract Staff and their mission is to sink the company’s investment by removing the qualified contract staff from their jobs and denying them the potential positions they are looking forward to, this they hope to achieve through ‘arrangee’ aptitude test for their cronies while making others look like idiots, dull & not capable of passing the arrangee aptitude test
.
They conducted a simple SHL Test for well over 350 Labour contract staff; made it looked transparent in the presence of honest  recruitment staffs. They assessed the test in the presence of the contract staff having given their cronies answers to the tests , the lopsided pattern of the result was evident in the number of secretaries that excelled in the assessment much to the amazement of experienced and qualified engineers in Total labour contracts.

John Owofera went further to announce the result that was reminiscent of Nigerian INEC result. A source confirmed that days before the arrangee test, his cronies were provided the answers to the test, released same to some secretaries and their friends.
Out of over 350 Contract staff that took the test, 25 of them were announced to be successful, 18 of this 25 contract staff are women, 12 of which are from Human Resource department, about 14 are secretaries and ironically no Engineer in Total passed the Mathematics but secretaries.

The question now is why should Total subject contract staff that helped in the development of the company to such ridicule and disrepute? Why will fellow Nigerians subject themselves to this kind of treatment while the expatriate staffs behave as if nothing is wrong?

Seeing that the internet is the 21st century tool of democracy I have brought this case to the people’s court to see what these foreign operators do to Nigerians but unfortunately through our Nigerian brothers, kindly assist in propagating this gospel so that Total Nigeria will reverse their steps. If possible assist to suggest other Nigerian and target forum where regulators of the industry can hear about this sham.

This is the kind of thing you witness in 9ja.we hail theee

is it not a shame that things like these has continue to happen in our country.They use people as contract staffs yet they ought to convert them to permanent staffs the usual 9ja politiking will start.
its a shame on total nigeria ltd and infact other oil companies.i hope the nigeria labour congress,minister of petroleum and the president himself will come to the rescue of the contract staffs in the oil industry.

shame shame and shame on Total.

This is only country where such things can happen.I hope the staffs that were affected in these will carry placards, go to TV stations and show their grieviances.when will these country change,when will nigerians wake up and do the right thing, when are nigerians going to have a conscience? ,am anger filled,Total is truly a disgrace if they allow these to go under the carpet.

@tompolotot ,

Sorry bro, thats total E&P for u.

I was a victim of that rubbish arrangee recruitment exercise 3 yrs back (was a staff contract with them then). I left them immediately the outcome,

I actually did well in their test but got shown d way out thru some shaddy interview process (1 year after, i got to know thru an insider that it was mgt's

decision to kick me out due to lack of sufficient experience). I was like why d f, k did invite me to write the test in the first place??

However, never stop doing ur best in terms of ur work as a contract staff. some one some where might be watching & ur time might just come.

Its about timing and prayers men. Remember God's time is the best!!!

d coy is a big place to work so don't be discouraged men.

tompolotot:

A foreign magazine IBtimes of February 24, 2010 reported that French oil giant Total is ready to invest $20 billion in Nigerian oil and gas development spread through energy markets in an unlikely bit of positive news for the beleaguered African producer.
The report went further to say that the company itself would only confirm investments of $7 billion, according to news agency reports, saying that the remaining portion would be from partners, who remained unnamed.

I wonder what this portion of the story has to do with the heading of this post
-----------------------------------------------

tompolotot:


However, a tiny cabal is bent on sinking this huge investment directly or indirectly by putting the rest of Nigerians into a very bad image even worst than that of late Gen Abacha. They are in the cadre similar to the military ranks of Captains, they cut across all divisions and departments of Total, while the Generals (DGMs, GMs and EGMs) are unaware of their agenda; they are busy with policy making while this tiny group’s mission is nothing but to sink this huge investment running to almost $20b.

The whole information above is complete balderdash!  Did the writer even take time to read it before posting? I strongly suspect that the writer was one of the participants at the last aptitude test. Just imagine what his/her performance would be!

tompolotot:

The cabal led by one John Owofera perfected their plans weeks before the conversion exercise for Contract Staff and their mission is to sink the company’s investment by removing the qualified contract staff from their jobs and denying them the potential positions they are looking forward to, this they hope to achieve through ‘arrangee’ aptitude test for their cronies while making others look like idiots, dull & not capable of passing the arrangee aptitude test.

You mentioned Owofera as the leader of the alleged cabal. What stopped you from mentioning the names of the others? It only shows that you have personal issues with the Owofera in question. Your case is like that of a bad musician blaming his instruments.  If you were privy to the fact that the alleged cabal had perfected its cheating plan several weeks before the aptitude test , WHAT DID YOU DO?  What stopped you from going online with the information?

tompolotot:

They conducted a simple SHL Test for well over 350 Labour contract staff; made it looked transparent in the presence of honest  recruitment staffs. They assessed the test in the presence of the contract staff having given their cronies answers to the tests , the lopsided pattern of the result was evident in the number of secretaries that excelled in the assessment much to the amazement of experienced and qualified engineers in Total labour contracts.

[b]The writer obviously must have performed woefully. Your narrative was poorly made. How can you contradict yourself in almost all the paragraphs? You claim that a simple SHL test was conducted and it was made to look transparent.  You also tagged the recruitment staff as honest…who else are the members of the owofera cabal when the ‘honest’ recruitment staff were involved in the conduct of this exercise as claimed by you?   The lopsidedness that you ascribe to this test is as a result of the number of secretaries and your colleagues in the HR team that met the cut-off mark. This can be explained! From my contacts, I was informed that a group of these secretaries came together, gathered some past SHL questions and paid somebody from outside the company to tutor them daily immediately the date for the aptitude test was announced.  Please prove me wrong. I also heard that a few of your HR colleagues were successful because they have been practicing SHL long before the company decided to convert contract staff…some have even attended tests in other oil companies.  I also learnt that the so-called engineers and high-fliers that you mentioned failed because they were over-confident.  They set aside the fact that it was not going to be a professional test but an aptitude test of which time was of utmost essence for each question! [/b]

tompolotot:

John Owofera went further to announce the result that was reminiscent of Nigerian INEC result. A source confirmed that days before the arrangee test, his cronies were provided the answers to the test, released same to some secretaries and their friends.
Out of over 350 Contract staff that took the test, 25 of them were announced to be successful, 18 of this 25 contract staff are women, 12 of which are from Human Resource department, about 14 are secretaries and ironically no Engineer in Total passed the Mathematics but secretaries.

How come you are now equating the whole exercise to an INEC-conducted election when you told us that it was made to look transparent in the presence of honest recruitment staff.  Is it because you did not cross the barrier? You fail to inform the public that the test were conducted the same day in the 3 different locations of the company.  I learnt the one in PH was in 3 batches! SAME QUESTIONS! Are you telling everyone that out of about 350 contract staff, only 25 saw the EXPO and kept it to themselves? Why feed people with lies in order to bring down an individual? I also learnt that one of the officers in the HR team has a cbrother in the Lagos office but he did not make the cut-off…talk of an arrangee test and a cabal!  I strongly believe that the ‘Nigerian situation’ is affecting your sense of reasoning!


I learnt that you guys have resorted to blackmail because some of you and your union leaders thought they would be given automatic concession but management in its wisdom decided to give all equal opportunities.  You failed to inform the world that a lot of you have your uncles, aunties, brothers, sisters, in-laws, etc as top members of the management team and as such were over-confident that you were going to scale through! Some are being tolerated in the system because of their relatives…hear some speak English and a primary school student would pick holes in every sentence they make! All you guys need to do is to assess yourselves individually and be at home with your conscience. You know how you fared in the aptitude test! Let Owofera be; let the HR team be; let the company be!  STOP MISINFORMING THE INNOCENT PUBLIC!

@myboo, I feel u my broad dats TOTAL E & P for u.

@otinkpu, whatever u think u might know about dis whole exercises, I will refer u to MYBOO post to buttress the current situation, dis happened 3yrs ago abi dis one too na blackmail or misinformation? don’t even think u hv done a good PR job ooo for Owofera and Co. Let me ask u,wat has over confident got to do with the engineers and highfliers failing the test? It is not enuff to tell us here dat the secretaries and others whom passed the test has either been attending several test in other oil companies or even conducting a tutorial! piss to dat ur excuses, pls tell it to the cowboys cos dis is not enuff reason too for any of the engineers not to pass the test not even one mr otinkpu.
i am very confident dat tins lik dis happen in nigeria daily, i felt our efforts should be how to stamp it out rada than condole it,ur ppl might hv scaled the test today but de might b d cheated ones tomorrow and am sur u will also cry foul and posisbly write against the same process u support today.

No one has resulted to blackmail here, if u don’t kn, nairaland is an open court so do the job u hv paid to do and don’t com here to deceive ppl wit ur false infos afterall u jus registered last nite to enable u do ur PR job.

carnal:

@myboo, I feel u my broad dats TOTAL E & P for u.

@otinkpu, whatever u think u might know about dis whole exercises, I will refer u to MYBOO post to buttress the current situation, dis happened 3yrs ago abi dis one too na blackmail or misinformation? don’t even think u hv done a good PR job ooo for Owofera and Co. Let me ask u,wat has over confident got to do with the engineers and highfliers failing the test? It is not enuff to tell us here dat the secretaries and others whom passed the test has either been attending several test in other oil companies or even conducting a tutorial! piss to dat your excuses, pls tell it to the cowboys cos dis is not enuff reason too for any of the engineers not to pass the test not even one mr otinkpu.
i am very confident dat tins lik dis happen in nigeria daily, i felt our efforts should be how to stamp it out rada than condole it,your ppl might hv scaled the test today but de might b d cheated ones tomorrow and am sur u will also cry foul and posisbly write against the same process u support today.

No one has resulted to blackmail here, if u don’t kn, nairaland is an open court so do the job u hv paid to do and don’t com here to deceive ppl wit your false infos afterall u jus registered last nite to enable u do your PR job.

@Myboo, I feel your pains having gotten to the stage you did. But the good thing was that you were given an opportunity but got knocked off due to lack of sufficient experience. Obviously the other candidates you were up against had the required years of experience. With your kind of attitude, you will definitely excel. Wish you all the best.

@Carnal: Just look at your english. It can not be compared with that of Myboo. You used pidgin english to garnish your inadequacy. The difference is clear! Very clear!

I often wondered why we have ppl like otinkpu in this dear country of ours. Otinkpu pls what is running through your brains, where is the fair play, justice in your post, who and who are you defending, is any of your family members, friends, girlfriends or even your wife among those who passed the test, why have you chosen to take these cause on a personal note? I am asking all this questions because this is one problem we all face in our dear country 9ja daily. I have been to several interviews that were ‘staged’, I have heard so many stories about interviews or whatever names they are called yet people who are competent, have all the qualifications and infact pass the interviews will end up not getting the job. I will give a particular instance with same TOTAL E & P this happened about a year ago, some guy did all the interviews, passed but a female (who just graduated from uniben without experience but a relatione of a management staff we later found out)was later chosed for that role while the guy was contacted  2 months after these lady resumed her new position to come work as her subordinate in the same team as a contract staff. while on the contract job and insider who knew all that went down informed him he was the one who got the job but because of the power that be he was substituted yet these lady was not qualified and to enable whoever in TOTAL E & P to cover up for her incompetence the original guy was brought in as a contract staff. There so many cases like these and am sure mr otinkpu that you won't want to cheated.

let d house nt border themselve so much with by d comments of Otinkpo. from all his comments, it clearly reveals a proper xteristic of a Nigerian who has grown so greatly into the act of corruption and asking him to leave it will require both laying of hands by our MOG's, enough cabashing by prayer worriors and practical koran reading from our muslims faithfuls. if proper investigation is carried out about this our guy, it is either he is a benefactor of this dubious exercise, directly or indirectly, or he is a paid agent to counter any opposition against his client. try harder dear Otinkpo or ? ever u call yourself

Both sides are right as this is normal in Nigeria, where the powerful ones hijack the process by playing the rule in 'contrived' ways and the losers, even when they lost genuinely, must give 'near-obvious' story about why those selected are just favourites of the powers that be.

Employment cartel exists in the Oil and Gas Industry from time immemorial, be it SHELL, TOTAL, harliburton, NNPC or NLNG!! The priviledged ones must favour their own persons to come in.

So also, those who could not scale thru would always shout 'they only get their girlfriends and brothers the job', whereas they just could not get the trap in the rules set out during the receuitment exercise because the rules are always spelt out, even if the clues were given to their cronies, some other people who don't take things for granted, still win in the game.

I have had tests and Interview with SHELL, ELF and NLNG before to some level of success but I had to ask myself if it only in the so called OIL COMPANIES my success in Life lies.  I ended up working for 15 yrs with Engineering Companies like JGC, TSKJ, Daewoo who do all the turnkey facility projects for the Exploration Companies before I started my own Consulting firm. I got the success I was looking for in Life!

what I mean is 'don't blame anybody for not being there', it simply means you have look at other windows.

So many people outside the so called Producing Companies are better off at the end of the day, they may not have travelled all over the world, but in Nigeria, we succeed better.

the average businessman on nigerian street is still richer than the oil worker. Many that retired from SHELL recently died so early because they are not used to the pressure outside the 'incubated' environment of the Company, their children are worse (I am not insinuating any bad omen please).

iF YOUR ARE NOT THERE, it is just not your own or not your time yet!!

But why all this rush? the way people are desperate to join those Companies also contribute to the scheming involved. For instance, due to millitancy, the oil industry became non-lucrative and risky, nobody wants to go to the rigs anymore, there was retrenchment, many Oil services moved out of Nigeria.

We just have to ask ourselves if we must all work in the Oil industry? If its not possible, then lets reduce the pressure on ourselves!!

Ther was a time it was LAW, another time ACCOUNTANCY, lately BANKING, who knows which industry after POLITICS and ENERGY would become 'mecca' again? Just perfect what you know how to do, your own time will come. THIS IS MY ADVISE TO EVERYONE

Why I perceive the grief in the writer's mail, I want to say this:

1. If a person claims to be a 'high flyer' and the company you work for or have worked for for many years
does not recognise that. Then what are you waiting for Go showcase your skills elsewhere! Infact
you will NOT be writing this because you will be a 'hot cake' that is highly sort after.

2. Contract staffing is not wrong in itself as some job positions do not necessarily require permanency
"unfortunately the word Contract staff is being basterdized in Nigeria" In some countries and even in
Nigeria some professionals prefer to work on contract basis to give them some level of freedom.

3. One of the major problems with Nigeria is the lack of viabrant industries else people will not be in
this 'do or die' situation of wanting to work in Oil producing companies.

My conclusion - The above story is 'somehow'

@Carnal: Just look at your english. It can not be compared with that of Myboo. You used pidgin english to garnish your inadequacy. The difference is clear! Very clear!

my dear otinkpu are u comparing my english to dat of myboo?let me remind u dat nairaland is a forum where u are free and at liberty to use any form of ligua to express ursef especially pidgin as long as u can pass ur message and dat i have don well.My advise is since u are a new member who registered jus last nite dat u read through nairaland properly and i bet u will neva be able to give me a figure of post/thread dat has enuff pidgin in dem.
dis na 9ja if u read in harvard good for u but as for carnal i am firm wit my pidgin and na dis pidgin don mak me de work for d biggest oil and gas company in d world and one of d biggest oil platform in d gulf.
let me advise u to neva underrate ppl u meet here on nairaland jus because de are behind dia computer screen,nairaland got ppl of 'class' no b oyinbo we go chop

@ posters,

lets focus,

Like i said earlier every one has a time to shine. So wait for your time

Shikena

John Owofera how long will you keep hiding with the name "Otinkpu".

You have forgotten your previous comment that there is no talent in Nigeria to be recruited. More about you will soon be revealed. Remember you were a contract staff before you got converted without a single test not even SHL.
You must have forgotten how you personally frustrated my recruitment into TOTAL three times at final level, before God opened way for me in a better organization. I advice the management to look into the plight of the contract staff in terms of pay structure and better welfare, let it be on international standard afterall the expatriates are on such out of this world contract terms,as the zest001 mentioned contract staffing has been rubbished by this companies in Nigeria and the SENATE has to interfere if possible on the law that stipulates 5 years max for any organization to employ a staff on contracts employment, this is what is obtainable elsewhere through labour laws. Abi why monkey go dey work and baboon go dey shop. 

john john john, can u see hw u hv become a popular jingo overnite

What is happening in Total is totally not acceptable, when will Nigerians stop eating each other and how in heaven can engineers failed woefully and copy typist should pass the test. Can we stop this rubbish and stupidity, please give the contract staff the happiness they deserve and let the expatriates know that we can do right things.

But the same typist got answers to each questions via an sms sent to them,so hw do u explain these?

@otinkpu: Someone on this forum attributed a statement to you:
", there is no talent to recruit in Nigeria, "
Please did you ever make such a comment? I await your response.
Thanks.

EIE:

@otinkpu: Someone on this forum attributed a statement to you:
", there is no talent to recruit in Nigeria, "
Please did you ever make such a comment? I await your response.
Thanks.

Who in the world would say such a thing? That person must be a complete ignoramus!  For your information, the company continues to recruit talented Nigerians regularly.  Not less than 40 new staff recruited locally have resumed work since the beginning of 2010.  Let me educate those who know nothing other than to wait and collect their salaries at month-end. 

Carnal:
But the same typist got answers to each questions via an sms sent to them,so hw do u explain these?

i guess that your carnal knowledge must be affecting your sense of reasoning.  You can only fool the gullible public who were not at the venue.  You know the truth.  I believe it takes a fool to fool another fool,

Dear Otinkpu,

You seem to know much about Total.

I envisage another exercise is going to be thrown to the public in the next few weeks inorder to meet the company's expanding needs.

Please intimate me on the planned recruitment exercise coming up soon,

When is the advert coming out & when /where will the test / interview process commence?

If u don't mind, can we chat on line, would send u my details if u oblige


Regards

Only in Nigeria.

@ Otinkpu, i was just wondering why you are so passionate in your defence! I sense you have something up ur sleeves.
You have talked about speaking good grammar(my foot!) but you forgot to tell the house that 'English lang' was ur mother' tougue.
You, at a point sounded like you got ur information through ur contacts; at some other points, you sounded like u are an insider.

I think you should check ur post all over, u sound technically confused.

I like ur 'grammar', were u ever an activist? U know what i mean? Aluta continua, and all that.

Pls, Abeg, Jo jare. The guys on this forum dont wear 'diapers'. We know who you are! You try no be small my guy!!!