The Foundation for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade has said the new the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) passed into law by the Senate is not different from existing obnoxious, draconian and inimical laws that governed the petroleum industry. This is contained in a release signed by Alaowei E. Cleric, the group’s National President. Below is the statement.
“The passage of the long awaited Petroleum Industry Bill into law by the Senate this week came rather a rude shock to us. After carefully reading the Act as passed by the upper legislative chamber, we found out that the Niger Delta region or rather the oil producing communities have no place in the Act. The Senate has indeed made good with its vexatious and incisive plan to remove the host communities funds otherwise known as the 10% equity shares for the oil bearing communities from the Bill.
“What else do the oil communities have to celebrate the Act when their interest is not protected? The Act as passed, to us, is not different from the existing obnoxious, draconian and inimical laws that governed the petroleum industry. The new Petroleum Industry Act is still enacted to colonise the Niger Delta people for the Federal Government to continue plunder the region. The ecologically bastardised and degraded communities in the region have no hope of assuaging their sufferings in the Act. Why must we celebrate a law that designed to keep us in perpetual attrition in midst of vast oil wealth?
“Will the new Act curb the coastal erosion that have been ravaging Okerenkoko, Ogidigben, Sokebulou, Ogulagha, Agge, Ezetu, Bilabiri, Ekeni, Furupa, Akassa, Brass, Nembe City, Bonny and other numerous coastal communities in the Niger Delta region? The answer is definitely no. The 10% host communities funds was the main trust of the Bill. Now that the upper legislative chamber has ungraciously removed it then the purpose of the Bill is defeated.
“The Bill as proposed by Late President Yar’Adua in 2008 was primarily to address the apathy of oil governance in the Niger Delta region. That was the reason why 10% equity shares were voted for the oil communities. We are not concerned about the merger of agencies under the NNPC as such cannot address the problems of the environmental degradation and despoliation as well as the economic deprivation and marginalisation of the oil producing communities.
“What the Senate has done is to stoke the flame of discord between the region and the Federal Government. We will not accept the Act as passed by the upper chamber. We are calling on the House of Representatives to reject the Senate version since its own version has incorporated the much talked host communities funds. No host communities funds no Petroleum Industry Act.
