Total bosses on spot for denying Ugandans oil jobs
Total head offices in Uganda
Total Energies EP Uganda, one of the firms involved in the development of Uganda’s Lake Albert oil resources and in particular the upstream Tilenga project has been accused of locking out Ugandans from oil jobs in favour of expatriates.
One of those cases is that of Ismail Ssenoga.
He accuses Total bosses of offering him a job only to make a u-turn and snatch it from.
He has now dragged them to court for compensation through his lawyers of Nexus & Solicitors Co advocates. He accuses Total Energies group of breach of contract.
For the uninitiated, Total Energies group has two affiliates in Uganda. There is Total Energies Marketing Uganda Ltd (for Marketing and Services with over 200 service stations in the country) and TotalEnergies EP Uganda (for Oil Exploration & Production).
So, Ssenoga previously worked in the former and wanted to switch to the latter but was locked out.
He in particular has no kind words for Total Energies Marketing Uganda MD, Daniel Mayieka who is a Kenyan whom he accuses of being the main architect-Details of the enmity and its origins between the two will be in our subsequent publication. According to court documents seen by this publication, Ssenoga joined Total Energies Marketing Uganda in January 2018 as an IT Manager.
He says throughout all this time his employee performance appraisals were always better-than-satisfactory and had never received negative feedback from his superiors neither any complaint nor ever subjected to any disciplinary proceeding.
In 2021, three years later, Ssenoga saw a job advert for the position of IS Business Coordinator at Total Energies EP, the oil exploration affiliate.
He went on to notify his bosses at Total Energies Marketing—MD Daniel Mayieka, Chief Finance Officer Omotesele Josephine Akinpelu and as well Human Resource & Corporate Affairs Manager Charity Ekudu about his next move and all gave him a go ahead.
Ssenoga was shortlisted, interviewed and emerged the best.
He received the employment offer on 2nd February —which he accepted—and the start date was 7th March, 2022.
Ssenoga, armed with a job offer, had to resign from Total Energies Marketing since these were different entities. He did so and gave a notice period of 1 month to handover but this was curiously waived.
U TURN
He says soon after resigning from Total Energies Marketing, he on 8th February received a letter from the Total Energies EP informing him that they could not employ him based on unsatisfactory professional reference from his former employer.
Just like that, he had no job in Total Energies Marketing nor Total Energies EP.
He says efforts to get answers from his former employees at Total Energies Marketing have been futile and suspects MD Daniel Mayieka being the main architect.
“As a result of the defendant’s (TotalEnergies Marketing) actions/conduct, the plaintiff (Ssenoga) has lost potential earnings from the defendant with whom he expected to work for the rest of his working life. The plaintiff has also suffered mental anguish, emotional distress and embarrassment,” Ssenoga states and adds: “The plaintiff avers and contends that the defendant’s employment offer to the plaintiff for the position of IS Business Coordinator with the defendant in which the former promised to pay the latter gross monthly basic salary of Shs6m plus transport allowance constituted an offer and consideration in law.”
According to Ssenoga, Total Energies EP lied that it canceled his employment offer based on an unsatisfactory professional reference from his then employer, Total Energies Marketing.
“The plaintiff avers and contends that the defendant (Total EP) did not obtain an unsatisfactory professional reference from his then employer, TotalEnergies Marketing Uganda Ltd. The plaintiff avers and contends that the defendant’s revocation of the employment offer purportedly on account of unsatisfactory professional recommendation from the plaintiff’s then employer, TotalEnergies Marketing Uganda Limited whereas no such reference had been requested for by the defendant, and/or availed by TotalEnergies Marketing Uganda Limited constitutes a breach of contract.”
Ssenoga also believes his unconditional acceptance of the defendant’s employment offer including all the terms and conditions constituted an acceptance and contract in law.
According to Ssenoga, Total’s actions did not only led to his resignation from his job at TotalEnergies Marketing but the revocation of the employment offer denied him an opportunity to work with the defendant and earn an income, which he legitimately expected to do for the rest of his working life.
DEMANDS
He wants over shs100 in compensation.
He wants a declaration that there was a contract between the Total Energies EP and the plaintiff when the latter accepted the former’s employment offer.
A declaration that Total Energies EP breached the terms of the contract/employment offer when it revoked the employment offer without receiving a non-satisfactory recommendation concerning the plaintiff.
An order that Total Energies EP pay Ssenoga the salary that he would have earned had they not unlawfully revoked the employment offer.
Other demands include general damages, interest on the decretal sum from date of judgment until payment in full, costs of the suit and any other relief that the Court may deem fit.
There is also discontent at Total Energies Marketing Uganda offices at 8th street, in Industrial area Kampala where all top positions are occupied by non Ugandans especially Kenyans but this is a story for another day. DEAR READER, DO YOU HAVE A HOT STORY YOU WOULD LIKE US TO PUBLISH…
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