Governors of the South-South States demanded an upward review of the
\nprovision of 2.5 percent as Host Community\u00a0 Trust Fund in the Petroleum
\nIndustry Bill (PIB) to 10 percent in the best interest\u00a0 of oil
\ncommunities and the nation.<\/p>\n
The governors have also advised\u00a0 President\u00a0 Mohammadu\u00a0 Buhari that\u00a0 in
\nthe absence of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission
\n(NDDC), funds for the commission beyond the payment of salaries should
\nbe put in an escrow account until he constitutes the board.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the South-South Governors Forum and Governor of Delta State
\n, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa made this assertion at the end of the forum’s
\nmeeting which held at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday
\nnight.<\/p>\n
“We took up the issue of the PIB, the Petroleum Industry Bill which is
\nalready\u00a0 before the House and having compared notes with ourselves, we
\nare of the view that while we welcome the Host Community Trust Fund, we
\ndo believe that the 2.5 percent that is appropriated in that bill for
\nthe purpose of host community fund is inadequate .<\/p>\n
“We have discussed with our people and collectively as leaders of the
\npeople\u00a0 in our various States and as leaders standing in on behalf of
\nour people, we urge that the National Assembly should increase the
\nprovision in the host community fund from 2.5 percent to 10 percent in
\nthe best interest\u00a0 of our communities, in the best interest of our
\nnation.”<\/p>\n
The governors maintained that the communities have a role to play in the
\nsurveillance of the nation’s oil facilities and pipeline network. They
\nexpressed the belief that if the communities feel satisfied with
\nprovision of funds for them in the PIB, they are more likely going to be
\nwatchdog\u00a0 on behalf of\u00a0 the federal government, the States and oil
\ncompanies.<\/p>\n
“And the peaceful environment that would be seen in the various oil
\ncommunities would enable us to have greater production and a seamless
\nproduction in which we do not have any form disruption in our oil
\nproductions going into the future.”<\/p>\n
Governor Okowa described as worrisome the running of the NDDC in over a
\nyear by an Interim Caretaker Committee, and now, an interim
\nadministrator. According to him, this situation does not augur well for
\nthe people of the Niger Delta as opportunity for all States to be
\nrepresented as they ought to be represented in the board of the NDDC
\ndoes not exist<\/p>\n
” So, it means that the NDDC is actually run in such a\u00a0 matter that it
\nis actually not truly beneficial to our people, because there is no
\nstakeholders input in the running of the affairs of the NDDC. We do know
\nthat there is a forensic audit taking place and if that reason the board
\nhas not been constituted, our advise is that monies being sent to the
\nNDDC should be put in an escrow account until a board is constituted and
\nthen proper processes are followed in the expenditure of the money in a
\nsuch a way it will be visibly accountable in the best interest of the
\npeoples of the Niger Delta.”<\/p>\n
The governors demanded that whenever the board of the NDDC is
\nconstituted, the advisory council\u00a0 must be called upon to place its role
\nto ensure there is check and balance in such a matter that the States
\nwill truly\u00a0 have value for money expended by the NDDC.<\/p>\n
“A situation where we begin to have emergency projects that possibly
\nwill not last three to six months is not right, we don’t feel happy
\nabout it and we are urging Mr President to ensure that if the board is
\nnot going to be immediately constituted, then funds for the NDDC beyond
\nthe payment of salaries should be put on hold until he constitutes the
\nboard and the board can now run the finances of the NDDC as per the law
\ncreating the NDDC.<\/p>\n
“We feel already short changed\u00a0 as a people in the Niger Delta and we
\nbelieve that we do not wish to see this kind of situation continue going
\nforward into the future ,because our people feel the pains, we do not
\nwant\u00a0 a situation where there is an abuse of processes, neither should
\nwe have a situation where we have abuse of funds.<\/p>\n
“We believe that it is best for both the country, for the states of the
\nNiger Delta and for the people of the Niger Delta when the due process
\nis followed by the reconstitution of the board and also in
\nreconstituting the board, that the reconstituted funds should come in
\nand have funds to spend as per the law.”<\/p>\n
He stressed that the demands of the governors have been made based on
\nthe interest of Nigeria, the States and more importantly in the interest
\nof various communities of the Niger Delta.<\/p>\n
Present at the meeting were Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo
\nWike; the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki; Governor of Bayelsa
\nState, Senator Douye Diri and the Deputy Governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Mr
\nMoses Ekpo, who represented Governor Udom Emmanuel.<\/p>\n
Governors of the South-South States demanded an upward review of the provision of 2.5 percent as Host Community\u00a0 Trust Fund in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to 10 percent in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":79078,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-79077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n