Group Applauds Interior Ministry Over Racism Probe

A human rights and good governance advocacy group, Make A Difference Initiative (MAD), has commended the Ministry of Interior for the bold step in investigating allegations of racism and discrimination against Nigerian employees levelled against the chief executive officer of Seplat Energy PLC, Roger Brown, by employees of the company.

The executive director of MAD, Lemmy Ughegbe, who spoke with newsmen in Abuja, also commended the federal government for revoking the work permit, visa, and residence permit of Mr Brown, on account of breaching the nation’s immigration law.

Specifically, the Ministry of Interior had written the management of Seplat Energy and its CEO, Mr Brown of the outcome of its investigation over the allegations brought against the latter, which he refused to appear before it to defend himself despite several invitations.

“Investigation and records in the ministry also revealed that Mr. Roger Brown was in possession of CERPAC that was not based on validly issued expatriate quota approved by the Ministry of Interior resulting in the violation of relevant Immigration Laws and Regulations. As a result of these, the minister has determined that Mr. Brown’s continued stay in Nigeria is contrary to national interest”, the ministry of interior stated in the said letter.

“This is one move that will help to restore the dignity of Nigerians in their own land and sound as a warning note to expatriate workers and firms who discriminate against Nigerians and treat them like slaves in their fatherland”, Ughegbe.

He also applauded the interim order of the Federal High Court, Lagos, which barred M. Roger Brown from parading himself as, or continuing to operate as the CEO of Seplat or working for Seplat in any other capacity pending the determination of the suit brought against him by shareholders of Seplat over the indictment for racism by the federal government. He said that it is also right that the court also restrained the chairman, board of directors, Seplat Energy, Mr Basil Omiyi, and all the non-executive directors under him from continuing to run the affairs of the company in an illegal, unfair, prejudicial, and oppressive manner pending the hearing and determination of the petitioner’s motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

“Our organisation condemns in totality the corporate lies told by Seplat at paragraph two of its statement dated 9th March 2023, where it claimed that the allegations and petitions by the aggrieved Nigerian staff at Seplat Energy have not been brought to the attention of Mr Roger Brown or Seplat Energy for a reaction,” he added.

He noted that the Ministry of Interior stated in its letter conveying the sanctions against Mr Brown that he was invited to the investigative panel twice and that he snubbed the Federal Government of Nigeria twice.  According to the ministry, ‘Mr. Roger T. Brown declined to attend despite two invitations, claiming to be unavailable even though we learnt he was in Abuja for other purposes at the time”.

“We are equally in possession of letters dated 9th February and 15th February inviting Brown to the investigative hearing. But he ignored both out of disdain for the Nigeria and Nigerian government. We wonder if a Nigerian citizen or corporate entity would dare such impunity and disdainful treatment of the United Kingdom (UK) government and people on UK soil”, Ughegbe stated.