Major Niger Delta groups, including the Host Communities Producing Oil and Gas (HOSCOM) and the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) on Monday kicked against the signing of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
They described the presidential assent as “insensitive,” “abominable”, “unfortunate”, “unbelievable”, “repugnant” and a clear case of the arrogance/contempt with which issues affecting the Niger Delta are treated by the Buhari administration.
The other groups that kicked against the new oil industry law are the Ijaw National Congress (INC), the Movement for the Survival of Ijaw Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND), Ikwere People Congress (IPC) Worldwide, Itsekiri Liberation Group (ILG), Forum for Ethnic Nationalities of Niger Delta (FENND) and the Coalition of Rivers Oil and Gas Host Communities (CROGHCOM).
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was on the same page with the Niger Delta groups. It described the Act as repugnant and anti-people.
The National Assembly passed the PIB in July 2021 with some contentious provisions, such as three per cent provision for the development of oil-bearing communities and 30 per cent of NNPC profit for Frontier Oil Exploration Fund.
Despite the protests, Buhari, who had earlier promised to assent to the bill once it is sent to him, made good his promise yesterday.
Special Adviser to Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, who announced the presidential assent via a statement, added that the the ceremonial part of the new legislation would hold tomorrow (today).
Part of the statement reads: “Working from home in five days of quarantine as required by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 after returning from London on Friday, August 13, the president assented to the Bill on Monday, August 16, in his determination to fulfil his Constitutional duty.
“The ceremonial part of the new legislation will be done on Wednesday, after the days of mandatory isolation would have been fulfilled.”
The Petroleum industry Act provides a legal, governance, regulatory and fiscal framework for the Nigerian Petroleum Industry, the development of host communities and related matters.
But PANDEF said it was unfortunate that Buhari ignored the overwhelming outcries over fundamental flaws in the bill to sign it.
HOSTCOM President Chief Tamarakeni Styles, described the assent as an “ambush on the people of the region and an attempt to take away the wealth of the region”.
Styles said by assenting to the PIB, the participatory rights of host communities had been breached. He said host communities would challenge the government’s decision.
The HOSTCOM boss added that the group would engage in wider consultations within the region on the next course of action, saying they stood by their demand for 10 per cent equity.
President of the INC, Prof Benjamin Okaba, said the next action of the Ijaw would be determined after wide consultations with critical stakeholders in the region.
He added: “The position of INC remains as we stated earlier. We believe in resource justice which is 100 per cent control of our resources. We thought 10 per cent was reasonable but three per cent remains unacceptable to us.
“But as to what the Ijaw will do or say further will depend on a product of wide level consultations and the consultations have started. We are going to consult with stakeholders vertically and horizontally and come up with a firm position as a people.
Meanwhile, we reject in its totality the three per cent as assented to by the President.”
PIB offensive, anti-people – PDP
In a statement by its spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP denounced the new law as offensive, repugnant and anti-people.
It added that the legislation further confirmed that Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have no respect for the people as well as the tenets of democracy.
The statement reads: “By his action, President Buhari has only authenticated that he is not a listening leader and that the APC and its leaders are only out to trample on the will of Nigerians for their selfish interests.
“In putting his hands to endorse the obnoxious bill, even with its distasteful, paltry and provocative 3 per cent revenue to oil-producing communities, President Buhari and the APC have again displayed disdain and insensitivity to the sufferings of the people of the Niger Delta.
“The PDP holds that such is the height of contempt to oil-producing communities, particularly in the face of the challenges which they face as a result of oil exploration”.
The party said the President ought to have returned the bill to the National Assembly with a request that it be made to address the demands of the oil-producing communities.”
The National Assembly leadership said that the new law will help Nigeria overcome its economic challenges.
It stated that the Act would open the floodgate of investments in the oil and gas sector.