Work resumes at Train-7 as grateful Daewoo thanks Bonny LGA boss

…But issues yet to be resolved

Work resumed today, Friday, October 17, 2025, at the Train-7 construction site after many frequent shutdowns.

This is as Daewoo Engineering and Construction Nigeria (DECN) Limited which had to give final shutdown order has showed gratitude to Abinye Pepple, the chairman of Bonny LGA.

Pepple had appealed to the workers on Thursday, October 16, 2025 to resume work while his administration would intervene and interface with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, NLNG, and other stakeholders to address the issues. He however urged Daewoo to stop punitive actions such as payoff and interdictions to avoid further provocation.

A grateful Daewoo has in a letter signed by Bernard Ewubare, Community Affairs & Security Manager, commended Pepple and the management of Nigeria LNG (NLNG) for their timely and effective intervention in restoring calm to the project site. “Your leadership and support have been vital in stabilising the situation and creating a path forward.

“We also deeply appreciate our workers for showing understanding and allowing reason to prevail during this period. Your cooperation and commitment are highly valued, and we remain dedicated to working together to ensure continued progress and resolution of all outstanding matters.”

Majority of the workers, who are staff of labour contractors to Daewoo comprised of welders, fitters and other specializations, had shut down the Daewoo section of the Train-7 project protesting over-taxation, illegal deductions, and non-issuance of tax clearance certificates and tax identification numbers.

Daewoo on the hand had always denied any wrongdoing but their explanations never seemed to satisfy the workers who were asking for evidence of where their taxes were going. The LGA boss still said he would trace it, an evidence that up till now, the critical questions asked by workers have not been satisfactorily addressed.

Sotonye Ibiama, the Public Relations Officer at DECN Train 7 Project, confirmed to an online outfit on Friday, 17 October 2025, that work has fully resumed on the company’s section of the project.

“Yes, the junior workers and welders and fitters are here on site doing their legitimate job, while some junior workers, welders and fitters are yet to resume,” he told the news outfit.

“As management, we will be waiting from today to Monday for others to resume.”

The Bonny LGA Chairman’s appeal is said to come after the presentation of an investigative report on the issue by a committee he set up to probe the issue at the Government Lodge in Bonny and a second meeting with representatives of the protesting workers, heads of security agencies, and other stakeholders.

Addressing the workers who took their protest to the Government Lodge, Pepple said he was concerned about the welfare of the workers, as well as the peace and security of the LGA, assuring them that his administration abhors victimization of any sort and will work to resolve the issue amicably while they return to work.

“That’s my area of concern; where workers will go back to work, the company will do the needful, so that we know where is the payment going to? How much is your company to deduct at various categories of workforce? How much is most appropriate to be deducted from your money and where is money being paid to?

“So, gradually we are making progress, but we can’t make the progress when the workers are now being given redundancy or payoffs or end of contract benefit, that is not fair. We cannot allow that.”

He went on: “So, we are saying that, whereas we are asking the management to say, ‘No, don’t take this step.’ We can’t be talking to management not to take this step when you are at home.

“Come back, let it be done. A little to the left, a little to the right, so that as you’re working, these other new persons will join the team. My own is to support, to make sure that the writing is done.

“We cannot allow intimidation, but at the same time, as the man that God Almighty and all of your votes have kept here, it is not a good record that the place is not peaceful.”

His response that the panel he set up has still not answered critical questions seems to pont to red flags in the matter, because, according to sources, it does not take years to confirm the allegations by workers. Sacking them does not seem to be the correct response, the sources said.

In response to the consensus reached at the meeting and in deference to the Bonny LGA Chairman, DECN issued a statement after the meeting, asking workers to resume work on Friday, 17 October 2025 as well as residence at the Train 7 Workers Village.

Background to crisis:

Daewoo Nigeria began about middle of September 2025 fighting to restore stability at the Train-7 plant which was in turmoil. Though top managers in Daewoo suspected external influences, the crisis was due to mass protest by a section of the workers.

The workers claimed they were over 8,000 and that deductions from their taxes had run into several billions of naira.

The company said there was no tax fraud situation in Daewoo.

The workers had alleged that the deductions were not being remitted to the coffers of the government. They said they feared that the fast-approaching new tax law in January 2026 would hurt them if tax identification number (TIN) was not issued to them.

Some of the workers interviewed said the deductions ranged from N80,000 per month to N180,000.

The company said there was no tax fraud in Daewoo, and that it did not use uniformed men to intimidate protesting workers. It however acknowledged the issue of controversy surrounding tax receipts.

Daewoo further denied withholding the taxes, clarifying that tax deductions from workers were instantly remitted to the RIRS and tax receipts obtained and advanced to respective staff.

Management also said tax identification number was not generated by Daewoo but by the Joint Tax Board (JTB) and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). “Management also wishes to clarify that there is no incidence of fraud associated with tax deductions in DECN.”

The company promised to facilitate through the RIRS the provision of verifiable TIN having DECN code for accessibility to all welders/fitters within two weeks from 22/09/2025 to 04/10/2025. “Management is actively engaging with the welders and fitters as well as their respective unions to address the issue and this dialogue processes have reached advanced stages with an appeal for workers to give the management two weeks or fourteen days to resolve the issue.

On resolving the impasse, Daewoo said: “Management has been in active communication with the workers, unions, and other stakeholders with a view to communicating the state of things with all parties concerned in the matter with a view to resolving the issue.

“Management has agreed that in case of perceived over taxation of any Welder/Fitter, such matter should be made available with evidence of pay slip to the site representatives and forward to DECN human resource team for necessary attention.

“Management has also agreed with the various unions that no Welder/Fitter will be placed on redundancy within this period without being provided with his/her verifiable TIN. It has also not mandated any security agency to invite, arrest, interrogate or detain any worker with regards to the issue at hand.”

Daewoo however alleged that some of the workers smashed glasses and caused some damages and assaulted their colleagues and even security personnel on duty. “Management wishes to inform that the project owner, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited, project implementer, security agencies, and all relevant stakeholders are all informed that resolution processes have been activated to resolve the issue. The company appealed for calm and for all to maintain the existing good relationship.

The frequent shutdowns and denial by workers that the matter had been resolved seem to add tension and confusion in the crisis, making it difficult to know the true situation of work in the Train-7 project.