Protesting workers shut down NLNG train project in Rivers
The $10 billion Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Train 7 project in Bonny, Rivers State, stopped as protesting workers shut down operations over unresolved tax disputes.
The workers, largely welders, fitters and junior staff under the SCD Joint Venture (Saipem, Chiyoda and Daewoo), are demanding the issuance of tax receipts and Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) after what they described as years of unexplained deductions.
According to the protesters, about ₦150,000 has been deducted monthly from each worker’s salary over the past two years under the guise of taxation, without any documentation to prove remittance.
READ ALSO: FG, NLNG to complete 27.1km Bonny road in Rivers
Daily Trust reported that the aggrieved staff staged a picket at the company’s administrative building last Thursday and have since vowed to remain until their grievances are addressed.
Some of the workers, who spoke anonymously, alleged that an internal audit revealed the deducted sums were never remitted to the federal government, sparking fresh calls for refunds and accountability.
They demanded immediate release of their TINs alongside a full refund of the monies deducted over the last two years.
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President of the National Association of Plant Operators (NAPO), Harold Benstowe, urged anti-graft agencies to investigate the matter. He also warned security agencies against being used to intimidate workers, threatening legal action if force was applied.
Benstowe stressed that NAPO members form a major part of the workforce at the Train 7 site, and that continued neglect of their concerns could stall one of Nigeria’s most significant gas infrastructure projects.
Efforts to obtain a response from NLNG were unsuccessful, as the company’s Corporate Communications representative, Emma Nwatu, had not replied to messages seeking comment at the time of filing this report.
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