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…the issue of host community will be adequately addressed
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta, Hon Essien Ayi has said the House will give the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) an accelerated legislative attention once the chamber reconvenes.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Ayi stated this on Thursday in his opening remarks at a webinar entitled Resolving The Host Community Question’ that was put together by the committee in partnership with Orderpaper and Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC).
Ayi said the essence of the conference will yield the desired results as the PIB, Nigeria’s oldest piece of legislation spanning more than two decades, will be on the front burner immediately the House reconvenes next week.
“As clearly indicated in the Legislative Agenda of this 9th House of Representatives, holistic reforms of the petroleum sector especially through the passage of the PIB remains a cardinal objective.
“In this regard, the leadership and indeed, the entire House of Representatives eagerly await the outcome of this conference in order to highlight it as a significant value addition to deliberations and other legislative interventions on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) when we reconvene from our annual recess,” Ayi stated in his remarks.
The remarks read in full, “It is with great delight that I make this opening remark on behalf of the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Affairs at this very auspicious occasion.
“That the House Committee on Niger Delta is able to mobilize partnerships and support to put this event together at a time when it is not only convenient but generally acceptable to explain inertia and deferments to the covid-19 pandemic is commendable and exemplary.
“The Committee had planned an elaborate event to bring all stakeholders together in a first-of-its-kind Legislative Dialogue on the Niger Delta before the pandemic struck and put a break to the implementation of the plan.
“It is heartwarming however that coronavirus can only delay but certainly not defer the grand idea entirely as this virtual conference is a stop-gap measure to get the conversation started while we await an opportune moment for the grand gathering on the Niger Delta.
“Why do I say grand you may ask? I use the word consciously and advisedly not because I am given to highfalutin expressions or want to be seen to hype an event put together by my honourable committee.
“I use the word in a sober sense because conversations about the Niger Delta region of Nigeria speak to the heart and soul of our nationhood; the conscience of our nation is facing a grand jury in the way and manner it has carried on with extractive activities in the delta.
“A region that produces the golden goose which blood drives our development as a country has unfortunately, been left to bleed profusely with neither appropriate treatment nor sufficient empathy for its pathetic situation.
“We have continuously cracked the eggs and savoured the omelet daily without as much care about providing commensurate feed for the bird to continue to produce in good health. The result is the large-scale despoliation and resultant discontent that have dogged the Niger Delta Region for decades.
“This is not to suggest by any means that the Nigerian State has not made efforts to redress this undesirable state of affairs. Far from it. The efforts may not have been timeous, adequate or sustained or even sustainable but we cannot in fair conscience, speak of their absence. “Unfortunately, we are left yet with the riddle of the resource curse shamefully amplified by the situation in the Niger Delta Region.
“This is the second reason I am delighted to be part of this epochal start of this legislative intervention kick-started by the House of Reps Committee on Niger Delta and its partners.
“Coming on the heels of the disdainful exposè and consequent disgraceful display by some actors upon whom the sacred responsibility of ensuring development of the Niger Delta Region was entrusted, this conference is not only timely but an appropriate response to the show of shame witnessed in recent weeks.
“I do verily believe that this event and its expected outcome is solutions-driven; one that seeks to put behind us the caricature of the immediate past and throw up lessons and suggestions upon which stakeholders can be mobilized and energies redirected towards a collective determination to make beauty from ashes.
“I acknowledge that this conference builds on the Post Covid-19 Petroleum Agenda for Nigeria (PoCoPAN) initiative designed and being implemented by OrderPaper Nigeria to extract and mobilize value from the coronavirus pandemic towards long-desired reforms of the petroleum sector of our economy.
“I align myself to the idea that Nigeria must not allow the crisis of this global pandemic to go to waste and must therefore seize the opportunity to reform and improve the petroleum sector which remains the mainstay of the economy.
“In this regard, the leadership and indeed, the entire House of Representatives eagerly await the outcome of this conference in order to highlight it as a significant value addition to deliberations and other legislative interventions on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) when we reconvene from our annual recess.
“As clearly indicated in the Legislative Agenda of this 9th House of Representatives, holistic reforms of the petroleum sector especially through the passage of the PIB remains a cardinal objective.
“It is therefore welcoming that this conference is focusing on resolving the piercing question on the host communities which is a very vital aspect of that phoenix bill and indeed, other relevant interventions to ensure a reformed and beneficial petroleum industry for our dear country.
“I have no doubt that the distinguished speakers, panelists and participants at this conference are more than able and well prepared to do justice to the topic.
“I encourage you all to feel free to help with an outcome that will steer our thoughts and deliberations in the right course when we begin to work on relevant legislative instruments that are targeted towards redressing the sorry story of the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria.
“Once again, I salute our partners; OrderPaper Nigeria and the Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC), for this important initiative and look forward to more insightful contributions from this team of external support in furtherance of our legislative interventions towards a better Nigeria we can all be proud of.
“On this note I most sincerely welcome you all to this Zoom conference. I wish us all successful deliberations”.