The leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum(PANDEF),Chief Edwin Clark, has faulted the newly passed Petroleum Industrial Bill(PIB) saying it is satanic, unjust and embarrassing.
The elder statesman stated this on Monday at a press briefing in his Abuja residence.
TheFact Nigeria Recalled that last week, the National Assembly passed the PIB, where they raised the frontier basins exploration fund to 30 percent.
Clark who was represented by the National Publicity Secretary of PANDEF,Ken Robinson, said the bill has dashed the hopes of the people of the Niger Delta region. Adding that the PIB does not reflect the long clamor by the people of the region for equity, fairness and justice.
In the letter to the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, the South-South leader demanded that the bill as passed be reversed hence the Niger Delta will take their destinies in their hands and deny International Oil Companies (IOCs), entry into the region.
“It is important to state clearly here to all well-meaning Nigerians that the demand of the oil-bearing communities of the Niger Delta Region was for a minimum of 10 per cent equity participation,” he said.
“But you Mr. Senate President, the Right Honourable Speaker and some of your colleagues in the National Assembly have further shown your disdain to the Niger Delta people by redefining host communities to include pipeline-bearing pathway communities, in which case states, where pipelines pass through to aid them with the privilege of cheap supplies of Niger Delta petroleum products, could also be entitled to the ridiculous and unacceptable percentages that the legislators are willing to cede to oil-bearing communities.
“We want to warn seriously, that the people of the Niger Delta have had enough of this colonial and oppressive mentality of our Northern brothers and friends. Today, the north controls the Oil Sector, even though day-to-day operations are being handled by the International Oil Companies (IOCs) on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
The elder statesman rejected the 3 per cent and 5 per cent of operating expenditure granted to host communities including the 30 per cent provision for Frontier Exploration Fund.
He called for the review of the PIB to reflect nothing less than 10 per cent of operating cost for oil-bearing communities
“If this is not done, the Niger Delta people may be forced to take their destiny into their own hands and all IOCs may find themselves denied access to their oil activities in such communities,” he added.
