The Nigerian Young Professionals Forum (NYPF) and Connected Development (CODE) have called for probe due to alleged violation of local content laws by some going concerns.
In a joint statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, September 26, both demanded that the federal government commences a holistic investigation into the allegation. The statement was signed by the leaders of the groups; Moses Siloko Siasia, chairman of NYPF, and Hamzat Lawal, chief executive of CODE.
The groups were reacting to the move between the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL), and Samsung Heavy Industry (SHI), to reach a settlement, stressing that it considers it an attempt to abandon local content and the defense of national interest over the dispute on Egina FPSO.
They insisted government go ahead with the probe and sanction of SHI, an action it describes as “very timely and important step towards protecting Nigeria from further exploitation by SHI.”
The groups threatened that if the federal government fails to initiate action with regards to the probe, it would have no option but to mobilize youths from all over Nigeria to the Presidential Villa for a civil protest.
The statement reads in part: “Our position is that the Egina FPSO contract awarded to Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) is fraudulent, ab initio and in all its ramifications. “Secondly, in executing this contract, SHI has consistently violated the local content laws and, accordingly, further jeopardized the already delicate unemployment situation in Nigeria.
“For these reasons and more, we demand that the federal government should commence a comprehensive probe of Samsung Heavy Industries.
“If after one week we don’t see any action from the federal government to bring SHI to justice, we shall mobilize all youth groups across Nigeria to occupy the Presidential Villa until something is done.”