ExxonMobil withdraws Ernest Omo-Ojo’s sack after Sylva’s intervention

Ernest Omo-Ojo, a former employee of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPNU), says the company has withdrawn the “wrongful termination” of his employment following the intervention of Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum resources.

Omo-Ojo had accused MPNU, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, of sacking him without following the rules set by the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) — now the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

He said the company has rightfully issued him a resignation letter after the minister stepped in to remedy the situation. 

Horatius Egua, senior adviser, media and communications, to the minister, confirmed the development in a chat with TheCable on Sunday. 

Egua said the committee looked at the case, and its intervention got Omo-Ojo’s sack converted to retirement.

Omo-Ojo said after “over three years of a protracted struggle for justice that involved petition letters, memos, physical meetings, zoom meetings court appearances, lies, and blackmail” that ate deep into his financial resources and the emotional state, reprieve has come “after the intervention of the minister”.

Omo-Ojo added that on July 31, 2021, the minister inaugurated a three-man committee — all directors — from the ministry to investigate the matter and make recommendations to his office. 

After sittings, which lasted about six months, the committee concluded its factual findings on the matter on January 12, 2022, he said. 

The three-man committee recommended that ExxonMobil should rescind the termination of his appointment earlier issued on June 14, 2019, and approved his retirement from service.

A formal communication from the office of the minister on February 9, 2022, conveyed the information, he further said.

Omo-Ojo said before the termination of his employment, he had received a suspension letter from MPNU on April 12, 2019 — and on April 16, 2019, he submitted a petition to the defunct DPR.

While arbitration by the now-defunct Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR (now NUPRC), was ongoing, he said he received a termination letter on June 14, 2019.

Subsequent meetings with the representatives of DPR and ExxonMobil to resolve the matter ended in a stalemate and he filed a suit against the oil and gas multinational at the National Industrial Court, Abuja Division, seeking a nullification of the termination.

He said the matter was in court until the minister’s intervention to give room for the mediation efforts.

“ExxonMobil has since accepted the minister’s directive and complied by withdrawing the termination letter issued on June 14, 2019, and issued me with a retirement letter,” he added.