No fewer than 48 nationals of 15 countries working in five sister companies to Integrated Logistics Services, Intels, are facing deportation at the end of November as a result of the company’s withdrawal from the Nigerian Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority.
Under Nigerian Oil and Gas Free Zones Act of 2010, companies operating in the area are expected to renew their licences yearly and submit their expatriate staff list to the OGFZA and the Nigerian Immigration Service for approval on a monthly basis.
However, Prodeco International Limited, West Africa Machinery Services Limited, Net Global Systems International Limited, MGM Logistics Solutions Limited and Orlean Invest Limited, opted not to renew their licences for 2017, citing poor business at the OGFZs.
To finally exit the Nigerian free zones, the five companies wrote to the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, OGFZA, in March and April, this year to de-register them from the zone.
Based on their requests, the Nigerian Immigration Service last week wrote to notify them of the cancellation of their work permits in line with the relevant laws, and asked them to return their expatriate staff on or before November ending.
A Federal Government document cited by Vanguard last night, indicated that West Africa Machinery Services Limited has the highest number of expatriate staff of 22, followed by Net Global Systems International Limited with 16, while Orlean Invest Limited has five; Prodeco, three and MGM Logistics has only two expatriates.
Records show that they submitted their last monthly expatriate quota returns to the NIS in October 2016.
A further scrutiny of the document showed that of the 15 countries affected by the work permit cancellation, Italy has the highest number of nationals put at 19’ followed by India with nine; Croatia, five, while Montenegro and France have two each. Algeria, Argentina, Germany, Palestine, Lebanon, Portugal, Canada, Britain, Russia and Philippines have one each.
Section 20 of the OGFZA Act, 2010 states: “Where a person who is a non-Nigerian citizen is employed by the Authority or by an approved enterprise established in the Export Free Zone, upon application by the enterprise for a licence to establish itself within the Export Free Zone or at any time thereafter, the enterprise shall apply on behalf of the non-Nigerian citizen, direct to the Authority for the purpose of immigration and employment permits, in such manner as may be prescribed by the Authority.”
A statement by the NIS signed by its spokesman, Sunday James, on behalf of the CG, Muhammad Babandede, said, “The Comptroller/General of Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, hereby revokes the residence permits of the expatriate staff of the under listed companies.
“Consequently, the CGI has directed that the expatriate staff of the affected companies leave Nigeria not later than November 30, 2017, failure of which they might be recommended to the Minister of Interior for deportation.”
Source: Vanguard
