21st April, 2016
The Edo chapter of Oil and Gas Host Communities of Nigeria on Wednesday appealed to the National Assembly to shun the planned removal of the 10 per cent equity for host communities in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
The appeal was contained in an open letter to the President of the Senate , Dr Bukola Saraki, and signed by Deacon Friday Osazuwa, the Chairman of the chapter.
The chapter also copied Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara.
The group said that if left in the bill and the document was passed into law, the 10 per cent would go a long way to avoid returning the country to the dark days of rancour, restiveness and instability.
The group said that oil producing companies continued to deny indigenes of Niger Delta employment and provision of social amenities.
It said that “the dangerous voyage and manipulations by a few anti-progressive elements would always create a rancorous atmosphere, mayhem and general instability in the Niger Delta region”.
It described these elements as lacking faith in the Nigeria project
“We enjoin them to shelve every plan capable of upsetting the peaceful disposition currently in the Niger Delta region.
“They should cooperate with President Muhammadu Buhari to build a strong, progressive and united Nigeria of our dream,” the group said.
NAN recalls that it was the former President Umaru Yar’Adua that mooted the idea of 10 per cent equity for host communities to end instability and restiveness in the Niger Delta.