The Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, wants National Assembly to reverse the recently passed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
In the letter to the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, former Federal Commissioner for Information and the leader of PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark, demanded that the bill, as passed, be reversed.
Chief Edwin Clark, Monday, described PIB ready for harmonisation as satanic, unjust, and embarrassing.
Clark, who is also the South-South and Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF, leader, said that the passed PIB had dashed the hope of the people of the Niger Delta.
The elder statesman, who condemned the provision and allocation of 30% of profits for further frontier oil exploration in the North and that it was fraudulently declared that the region has had enough of the colonial oppression and will be resisting it.
Clark, who was represented at a press briefing in his Asokoro residence, Abuja, by PANDEF’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Robinson, said that the PIB passed does not reflect the long clamour by the people of region for equity, fairness and justice.
He said hence the Niger Delta will take their destinies in their hands and deny International Oil Companies (IOCs), entry into the region.
The two chambers of the National Assembly, last week Thursday, passed the PIB, after about 13 years of legislative fireworks.
The bill was first sent to the National Assembly in 2008 by President Umaru Yar’Adua, now deceased, without translating into an Act.
The PIB, 2020 seeks to introduce far-reaching reforms in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
Meanwhile, a WhatsApp writer who did not mention his name has punched holes in the PIB.
Picked from Itai State Movement Whatsapp group, the anonymous writer states ”My people, yesterday the Senate passed the PIB. But in my opinion, the content of that PIB bill was a pure Coup against the South. It was a ploy to further Rob the South that produce the oil and pay the North that doesn’t produce a single drop of oil.
”Firstly, the Senate cut down compensations payment for Host communities from 5% to 3% against the cries of southern Senators.
”Secondly, the Senate have redefined host community to mean any community that oil pipeline passes thru. By implication, host communities will now imply all states that don’t produce oil but have oil pipeline passing thru it. This automatically makes some Northern states that don’t produce oil to become host communities and henceforth benefit from compensations.
”Before now, host communities were communities that produce oil or have petroleum facilities/ installations in their land.
”Thirdly, the Senate came up with a new Fraudulent jargon called “Frontier Exploration”, for which they have earmarked 30% of NNPC profits to be servicing these Frontier Explorations yearly.
”Mind you, all the so called Frontier Exploration projects are domiciled in the North: – Chad basin, Borno etc. So automatically, 30% or more (totally about 48%) of NNPC profits will be going to the North that do not produce a single drop of oil, while the remaining will be shared be the Federating States.
”Pls, tell me what else is the best definition of FRAUD? My big worry is that, while many Southern Senators failed to stop this robbery of a bill on the floor of NASS, many Southern Nigerians are busy celebrating the passage of this fraudulent PIB because they do not know the content of the bill.
”Once this PIB is ratified on the Joint session of Senate and Representative, it automatically becomes a law once Buhari gladly signs off.
”From thence, the North will fight tooth and nail and resist any attempt to amend it. This is how the North have been robbing the South , and enjoying more from oil proceeds since independence.
”If you ask me, I would say Southerners should call their Representatives and Lawmakers at the NASS to reject the ratification of that PIB , but call for proper amendment before ratification when they have joint session,” the writer concluded.
