By Ken Asinobi
In the bustling town of Bonny Island in Rivers State, a shadow looms over the Nigerian LNG Ltd’s Train 7 project, which was expected to be a beacon of progress and economic development.
Instead, workers, particularly plant operators, who dedicated their labour to the project now find themselves grappling with a bitter reality: their hard-earned salaries have been subject to heavy PAYE tax deductions, yet they are left without the corresponding benefits—a Tax Clearance Certificate.
The shocking revelations came courtesy of a petition filed by Evalaw Associates on behalf of the National Association of Plants Operators (NAPO). The plant operators
have voiced concerns regarding what they describe as “misappropriated” funds totaling billions of Naira—a staggering amount that was meant to be remitted to the Rivers State Inland Revenue Service (RIRS) but remains allegedly unaccounted for.
Addressing reporters at the Federal Secretariat Complex, Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the National President of NAPO, Comrade Harold I. Benstowe complained that despite multiple invitations from the Federal Ministry of Labour, key parties have failed to attend crucial meetings, fueling misinformation that the tax dispute has been resolved—a claim strongly refuted by the workers.
According to him, withheld taxes amounting to 100,000 to 150,000 Naira per worker, representing 25% of their wages, remain unaccounted for, with no evidence of proper remittance provided by DEWOO and Saipem NRMG.
“That’s why we were compelled to petition the EFCC, copying the Finance and Labour Ministers, and National Intelligence Agency, calling for thorough investigations into this international fraud. The union condemns coercive tactics against workers and demands transparency, justice, and accountability”, he said.
Comrade Benstowe warned of possible legal action involving billions of Naira if the matter is unresolved.
“The workers reject NLNG’s claims of resolution. We demand official confirmation from relevant tax authorities, emphasizing the exploitation of Nigerian resources and labour by foreign companies without due tax compliance”, he declared.
“I feel betrayed,” stated an anonymous pipe fitter at Daewoo Nigeria Limited, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing deductions ranging from 110,000 to 150,000 Naira from a monthly salary of N500,000 as unacceptably high.
Although the tax authority recently claimed that the issue had been resolved and operations had returned to normal, he challenged this assertion, emphasizing that recent summons to a meeting by the Bonny Local Government Chairman suggest that the dispute is still unresolved, highlighting ongoing grievances among employees about the fairness of the tax deductions.
A worker in Daewoo’s scaffolding department, who also highlighted ongoing concerns about excessive salary tax deductions, explaining that despite earning between ₦250,000 and ₦270,000, employees are required to pay taxes ranging from ₦41,000 to ₦45,000 each time.
He presented an official 2023 tax receipt from the union but noted union refusal to issue a 2024 receipt while continuing deductions, fueling employee frustration.
A crane operator at Daewoo Construction also revealed serious concerns over the company’s failure to remit taxes on behalf of its workers, despite a recent presidential directive requiring tax PINs and clearance for bank operations starting January 1, 2026.
The operator stated, “We have effectively been defrauded all these years” as repeated requests for tax documents were refused, and no payments were made to the government.
Although media reports claimed the issue was resolved, the plant operators insist no changes have occurred, demanding full transparency and warning that construction remains halted until the matter is addressed.
