A group in the Niger Delta region under the aegis of Coalition of Rivers Oil and Gas Host Communities has rejected the Petroleum Industry Bill 2021 signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement made available to media houses in Port Harcourt, the group criticised the new law and demanded a review of it.
The statement signed by the Chairman, Barituka Loanyie, vowed to continue to ventilate their disenchantments with the situation through a non-violent means.
The statement reads; “Our attention has been drawn to the news of president Buhari signing the controversial Petroleum Industry bill into law without resolving the ambiguous rifts in it or even putting into consideration the outcry of our people”.
“We want to state very clearly that this PIB is just a rubber stamp of what the Executives wanted, that’s why it’s been hurriedly passed and signed just like that”.
“We want our people and indeed the world to know that the meagre 3% provided for the host Community Trust signed into law by the president is to be managed by the oil companies. The oil companies are the ones that have the responsibilities of setting up and managing their respective host community trusts. It is like the case of the NDDC where they give with one hand and take with the other hand”.
“We reject this PIB because it does not scratch where is itching us. This is complete injustice”.
‘If the Solid minerals act can provide better protection for communities in the extraction site, why will the case of the PIB be different? The Solid Minerals Act provides for the establishment of an Environmental Protection and Rehabilitation Fund to guarantee the Environmental obligation of mining companies. This funds ensures the restoration of any damaged Environment in cause of mining activities but the PIB denies Oil and gas communities that right”.
“We will continue to agitate because that Bill does not scratch where is itching us. We therefore maintain that if the PIB was birthed to holistically address the challenges in oil and gas host communities, then there should be a merger of both the PIB with those of the solid minerals act into a single Extractive Resources Community Development Bill”.
“We want the oil and gas host communities to know that the next stage of the struggle has just started and we will do it non-violently”.
