Riggers and Offshore workers in the Western Region have petitioned the Regional Minister, MPs, Chiefs and a Deputy Energy Minister; Emmanuel Armah-Buah, demanding a fair distribution of contracts to agencies licensed by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), to recruit labour force for both offshore and onshore. The complaints come at a time when pressure has been mounted on Government to promote and strengthen local content in the oil industry. Speaking to Maxx News, the Spokesperson for the Riggers and Offshore workers in the Region, Joseph Appiah, said very competent and skilled Ghanaians, who have worked at sea for many years and returned home from overseas, are unable to secure jobs on the oil rigs due to the unfair distribution of contracts to the various agencies mandated to carry out the recruitment. He has thus asked the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation to rescue the situation to ensure that the oil and gas industry becomes a blessing and not a curse that Ghanaians want to avoid. “We have about three agencies which have registered with the GNPC to supply labour to the offshore and sometimes to the onshore. But what is happening is that some of the agencies have undue advantage over others. Every offshore worker or rigger has an agency he has registered with to look for a job. And these agencies have our CVs and any other document, so if my agent is being treated unfairly when it comes to distribution of contracts, then it mean I will never get an opportunity to work on board any rig. We want to appeal to all stakeholders particularly the GNPC to ensure a fair distribution of the contracts”. Mr. Appiah said they are also worried about the opportunities given to expatriates to occupy positions and carry out jobs that Ghanaians equally have the competence to do. He gave an instance in Nigeria, where Ghanaians, who travelled on a rig from Ghana to the oil producing country, were ordered to pack out in two days because Nigerian citizens were ready to take over. He said there was the need for Government to strengthen local content in terms of job placements in the oil industry. “Based on our own investigations, majority of the riggers and offshore workers are from outside the Western Region as well as foreigners who are occupying positions that Ghanaians can fit in. So this is also one of our major concerns and something needs to be done about it. Sometimes they have been telling us to work for the local content law to be passed; but until when? We have to start now,” he stated.