Alleged Racism: Human Rights Group Demands Resignation, Prosecution of Seplat CEO, Chairman, Others

Peter Uzoho in Lagos and

A pro-human rights and good governance advocacy group, Make A Difference Initiative (MADI), has called for the resignation of the Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Energy Plc, Mr. Roger Brown; the company’s Board Chairman, Mr. Basil Omiyi; and the Independent Non-Executive Directors under him, over the racism scandal rocking the company.

The group, at a press conference addressed by its Executive Director, Lemmy Ughegbe, yesterday in Abuja, also demanded their sack by the Seplat board if they fail to resign, stressing that their continued stay in office was inimical to the interest of both the company and the nation.

MADI further called on the federal government to immediately prosecute Brown and Seplat for alleged flagrant breach of the relevant immigration laws and regulation.

MADI’s position is coming on the heels of the recent revocation of the visa, work and residence permits of Brown, by the Ministry of Interior, over allegations of racist practices, favouring of foreign workers, discrimination against Nigerian employees, and violation of good governance standards levelled against the embattled CEO by the employees of the company.

MADI, which condemned the March 8, 2023, statement by Omiyi where he had stated that the board had passed a vote of confidence on Brown, added that the embattled CEO continues to discharge his duties and responsibilities as CEO from the Seplat UK office.

The rights group described as an affront to the position of the federal government, Brown’s continued stay in Nigeria, which it said was contrary to national interest.

“MADI condemns in the strongest terms possible the obvious dereliction of duty, complicity and irresponsibility of Seplat Board led by Mr. Basil Omiyi, a Nigerian national, in quickly taking sides with the oppressors of our people on their own soil.

“It is failure of leadership and complicity on the part of Omiyi-led Board that Mr. Brown freely perpetrated such racist and discriminatory practices in Seplat without any preemptive measures or sanctions by the Board Chairman and the Non-executive Directors whose responsibility it is to ensure that Seplat is run in accordance with the laws of Nigeria and the Good Governance for which the company was known until recently,” Ughegbe stated.

The group equally condemned what it described as, “corporate lies” in paragraph two of Seplat’s statement dated 9th March 2023, where it had claimed that the petitions by the aggrieved workers against the CEO were not brought to the attention of the company, Brown or Seplat Energy for a reaction.

 “We are in possession of letters dated 9th February and 15th February inviting Brown to the investigative hearing. But, as rightly reported by the Ministry, he ignored both invitations. We wonder if a Nigerian citizen or corporate entity would dare such impunity and disdainful treatment of UK government and people on UK soil,” he said.

While commending the Ministry of Interior for revoking Brown’s immigration documents, it said the step would help to check a situation where foreigners treat Nigerians as second-class citizens in their own country.

MADI, however, called on the federal government to prosecute Brown and Seplat over alleged breach of immigration laws and regulations to serve as a deterrent to others.

The advocacy group equally commended the interim order by the Federal High Court, Lagos, restricting Brown from parading himself as the CEO of the company and also barring the board Chairman and all the Non-Executive Directors under him from continuing to run the affairs of the company in an illegal, unfair, prejudicial, and oppressive manner pending the hearing and determination of the Petitioner’s Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.