Workers on the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Train 7 project in Bonny, Rivers State, have taken to the streets in protest over what they describe as irregular and illegal tax deductions.
The protest reportedly started with fitters and welders working under Daewoo Contractors before spreading to include junior staff. According to the workers, each staff member has faced monthly deductions of about ₦150,000 for tax clearance over the last two years.
However, despite these heavy deductions, the aggrieved staff say they have not been issued their Tax Identification Numbers (TINs). They claim that a recent audit revealed the taxes were never remitted to the federal government, raising suspicions of fraud.
The workers are now demanding both the release of their TINs and a refund of all deductions made in the past two years. A pipe welder, who spoke anonymously, revealed that the protest began after repeated calls for answers went ignored. He added that although the company invited representatives for dialogue, none of the agreed resolutions had been carried out.
Some protesters also accused their union leaders of compromising the matter. They alleged that the union had knowledge of the situation for two years but kept quiet because they were benefiting from the so-called illegal taxation.
