Court Restrains Delta Firm from Conducting Offshore Safety 

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

A Delta State High Court at Orerokpe, headquarters of Okpe Local Government Area of the state yesterday granted an order of interlocutory injunction restraining Opeans Nigeria Limited from further conducting the Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET) and issuing such certificates to trainees.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Joe Egwu, in the ruling also ordered the closure of the training centres owned or operated by the company.

The safety and proficiency of individuals operating in offshore environments in the oil and gas industry is heavily reliant on the BOSIET certification.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) through its legal team from Banwo and Ighodalo law firm had in the suit number: HOR/9/2023 dragged the defendants, Opeans Nigeria Limited, and the Attorney-General of Delta State to court that Opeans Nigeria Limited is in no way affiliated to API.

The defendants are facing legal action due to allegations of issuing counterfeit API and Veriforce BOSIET certificates that have not been approved by the respective institutes even as the company had falsely asserted that their training programmes and certificates are accredited by API and Veriforce.

API, a renowned authority in the oil and gas sector, has firmly refuted any approval or accreditation granted to Opeans Nigeria Limited for conducting the BOSIET certification and issuing related certificates.