Local content breach: Reps seek deportation of Hyundai officials

The House of Representatives yesterday asked the Minister of Interior, Abdul­rahman Danbazzau to de­port Messrs Een Soon Moon, Lee Byung Woo and Lee Yoo Jong of the Hyundai Heavy Industry Limited.

This is based on an alleged violation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Content Development Act, 2010 by them.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Chairman of the House, committee on Local Content, Hon Emmanuel Ekon said his com­mittee would invite the De­partment of State Security (DSS), Federal Inland Reve­nue Service (FIRS) and the Accountant General of Fed­eration to investigate and au­dit the activities and finances of the company since its in­ception in the country.

“The officials of HHI have very little or no regard for the extant laws of the Federal Re­public of Nigeria. They con­tinued with their operations and had flagrant disregard for the rule despite observa­tions by the Nigerian Con­tent Development and Moni­toring Board (NCDMB).

“The NCDMB gave HHI conditions for renewal of their expatriate quota or even obtaining the ones which they neither observed nor bothered to address.

“The Nigerian Immigra­tion Service and the Feder­al Ministry of Interior should step up in the regulation of the quota system, “Ekon said.

The lawmaker said the committee will write to the HHI parent company to send a proper Managing Director of Vice President status and with proper qualification to its Nigerian office consider­ing the amount of Business it’s doing in Nigeria.

He added that if found wanting after all the inves­tigation, the committee will further recommend to the Nigerian National Petrole­um Corporation that HHI and its subsidiaries are not fit to operate in the oil industry of Nigeria.