The Joint Industry Companies (JIC) and companies on the Train 7 Project of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited have disclaimed any dealings with Winston Engineering Services Limited.

The Joint Industry Companies (JIC) comprise three companies; the NLNG, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Mobil Producing Nigeria Limited (MPNL), operating in Bonny Island.

The Train 7 Project is operated by the Saipem, Chiyoda and Daewoo Joint Venture (SCD JV), which is the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor. Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited, Daewoo Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited (DECN), CICO Construction & Leasing Co., and Evomec Global Services Limited (EGSL) are playing different roles on the project. 

Responding to enquiries by Kristina Reports, some of the companies stated that they have nothing to do with Winston Engineering Services Limited whether as a recruitment, construction, labour supply or any other service provider role on the project. Same with the JIC.     

In a telephone chat with Kristina Reports, ExxonMobil’s General Manager, Public and Government Affairs, Nigel Cookey-Gam said his company has ceased to be part of the JIC since their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) expired in 2015, stating that ExxonMobil has no dealings with any company by the name Winston Engineering Services Limited.

On his part, Community Affairs and Security (CAS) Manager of Daewoo Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited (DECN), Anderson Jaja disclaimed any dealings with Winston Engineering Services Limited, stressing that the company does not do third party recruitments and all its recruitments in Bonny are done in concert with the Bonny Integrated Recruitment Centre (BIRC).

Responding to Kristina Reports enquiry, Evomec Global Services Limited, speaking through its Project Manager, Oliver Ikechukwu, also disclaimed any dealings with Winston Engineering Services Limited, asserting that it does not do third party recruitments or engage in extortion of job seekers.

Shell Nigeria’s External Relations Officer in Rivers State, Figbene Jeremiah told Kristina Reports that his company handles its recruitment processes in-house, and also ensures its contractors adhere to its corporate policy on recruitment, stating that Shell has no dealings with Winston Engineering Services Limited either as a contractor, vendor or in any other capacity.

Train 7 Coordinator for Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited, Innocent Ogbu added to the litany of disclaimers in a telephone chat with Kristina Reports. He said his company is not aware of any such company as Winston Engineering Services Limited neither does Saipem have any dealings with it.

In its response through its General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Andy Odeh, the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited distanced itself from any third party recruitments, stating that the EPC consortium, SCD JV was exclusively responsible for recruitments on its Train 7 project, which it stated is devoid of any financial commitments by job seekers.  

“Members of the public are expressly advised not to make any financial commitment concerning any such claims as neither NLNG nor its contractors for the Train 7 Project – a consortium comprising Saipem, Chiyoda and Daewoo (‘SCD JV’), which is exclusively responsible for managing all aspects of the Train 7 Projects – will make such demands.”

“They are urged to exercise due diligence and caution at all times in evaluating and verifying any claims made by persons purporting to act on behalf of NLNG on recruitments related to its business and Train 7 project.

Odeh referred the general public and all other stakeholders to visit its website: www.nigerialng.com for more information.

The position of these companies run contrary to claims by the Chief Executive officer of Winston Engineering Services Limited, Winston Brown that his company was working for the JIC and Train 7 project.

In a voice note he broadcast to a WhatsApp group he created for his alleged victims, Brown said his company is working for the Joint Industry Companies and the Federal Government, a claim Kristina Reports have discovered not to be true.  

“I am employing for the joint industry in Bonny, the four companies working in Bonny and other contracts that I have. Winston Engineering Services is not only in Bonny Local Government, we have up to four or five places we are working including Federal Government projects and personal projects.”

He also stated that the inability to find the company’s name on the website of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) was due to the misspelling of the name during registration, disclosing that what is on the CAC website is WIMSTON ENGINEERING SERVICES LTD.

“Winston Engineering Services is a registered company. The only issue there is that we have typographical error when they were printing our certificate; instead of N, they made mistake and used M, that is the only mistake we have.

“That’s why they are shouting that the company is not registered that only what is registered is the WIMSTON, that is WIMSTON instead of WINSTON. When we registered this company, when we found out that mistake, there was an affidavit sworn to back up that.”

Kristina Reports checked on the CAC website and found his claim to be true that the company was registered with the following particulars:

“Name: WIMSTON ENGINEERING SERVICES LTD

Registration Number: RC 1713751

Address: 128 IWOFE ROAD RUMUOLUMINI

Status: INACTIVE (Visit CAC and update your status)

Date of Registration: September 22, 2020”

He, however, insisted that his company is not scamming people, alleging that the news of fraudulent activities by the company was the “handwork of an enemy trying to bring me down and trying to spoil the name of the company”.

“Nobody is scamming anybody; Winston Engineering Services will not scam you. I know, to be sincere, there are people out there, scamming in the name of Winston Engineering Services, collecting money from people’s hand, in the name of employing them, that I’m aware.

“We are also working round to make sure we cut that and bring them to book. But Winston Engineering Service will not deceive you or try to play you of any kind.”

Brown, nevertheless, evaded responding to reports of extortions going on in his company office as witnessed and experienced by Kristina Reports team during a recent sting operation.

During the said visits, staff of Winston Engineering Services, particularly Michael Udo, openly demanded payment for medicals and other induction requirements with him (Winston Brown) present and observing the process.

Checks by Kristina Reports reveal that the employment process in Bonny Island is devoid of any upfront fees either to the Bonny Integrated Recruitment Centre (BIRC) or to any of the companies employing. This includes applications processing, induction aptitude test, medical check-up, provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), feeding, accommodation, travel fare or security escort to Bonny.

Kristina Reports also discovered that the companies jointly organize the induction test with the BIRC at no cost to shortlisted applicants, who also go for their medicals at designated medical facilities patronized by the companies on the island.

The companies also provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for those employed, and provide feeding for them at their respective worksites.

The applicants, however, bear the cost of traveling to Bonny and also foot their respective accommodation expenses by themselves.

Kristina Reports also confirmed from the relevant authorities that there is no third party recruitment on the Train 7 project. The companies in conjunction with the BIRC manage the recruitment processes and it is devoid of any monetary inducements by job seekers.