By Desmond Ejibas
Port Harcourt – An advocacy group, Niger Delta Rights Advocates (NDRA) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into an Act.
The NDRA Spokesperson, Mr Darlington Nwauju, commended the president in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Port Harcourt.
He described the president’s assent to the petroleum bill as the right decision.
According to the spokesperson, in spite of the criticisms that followed the signing of the bill into an Act, the law now provides the nation’s petroleum industry with the needed regulated governance structure.
“So, the PIB is the first step to right all the wrongs done against the oil bearing communities in the over 60 years of oil exploration and exploitation in the region.
“The signing of the bill into law now gives the country a governance structure to regulate activities in the petroleum industry,” he said.
Nwauju, however, said that the group was concerned over a portion of the law that mandated the host communities to bear the cost of securing oil facilities and oil leakages.
“The flip side remains the fact that all manner of production wastes, as well as the billions of dollars lost to the International Oil Companies, shall be eliminated.
“Also, another grey area is the three per cent equity share to host communities, which we think should be amended.”
Nwauju called on lawmakers in the Niger Delta to make concerted efforts with the region’s lawmakers in the future.
He urged the region’s lawmakers to engage with the Federal Government to amend some sections of the PIA. (NAN)
