The Federal Government has urged the international oil companies (IOCs) that are doing business in Nigeria to respect the laws of the country and to prioritise the welfare of maritime workers.
Mu’azu Sambo, the Minister of Transportation, disclosed this recently in Lagos during the end-of-year dinner/gala night of the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN).
Sambo, who was represented by Magdalene Ajani, the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, urged the IOCs, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to play by the rules.
“It is unfair for you to decide how you want to do business in my country despite the constitution and rules of my country. Some of us may not be able to keep silent over it, as long as you run contrary to what my country says in doing business,” the minister said.
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Sambo also pleaded with the IOCs and the NNPC to support the maritime agencies by paying them for the services they rendered to them.
He warned that agencies in the maritime sector will not continue to support the NNPC and IOCs if they do not pay them for the services they rendered.
“We want to have a good relationship with you. We want to support you to get the best of your business, but you should also consider those providing services to you,” he said.
Continuing, he said: “More importantly, you need to prioritise the welfare of the maritime workers, because, in 2022 alone, we have done a lot of mediation just to make sure that they do not go on strike. So, please, IOCs, NNPC, kindly follow the footsteps of other operators that ensure that the welfare of maritime workers is prioritised.”
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