Ugochukwu Iwuchukwu
The Pan Niger Delta Forum PANDEF has rejected the signing into law, the PIB bill by President Muhammadu Buhari.
PANDEF in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, KEN ROBINSON, frowned at the attitude of President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the bill into law despite the outcry that greeted the passage of the bill by the National Assembly.
PANDEF said the PIB falls short of expectations of the Oil and Gas Producing Communities, that bear the brunt of oil exploration in Nigeria.
The statement described as dubious the setting aside of 30% of NNPC Ltd profit as Frontier Oil Exploration Fund while it condemned the paltry 3% provision for the Host Communities Development Trust Fund.
”It’s quite unfortunate that President Muhammadu Buhari went ahead to assent to the Petroleum Industry Bill, despite the overwhelming outcry and condemnation that greeted its passage by the National Assembly, especially with regards to the paltry 3% provision for the Host Communities Development Trust Fund and the brazen appropriation of an outrageous 30% of NNPC Ltd profit for a dubious, nebulous Frontier Oil Exploration Fund. This PIB falls way short of the expectations of the Oil and Gas Producing Communities, that bear the brunt of unconscionable industry operations” he stated.
PANDEF also said that the assent of the bill by President Buhari, simply speaks to the disdain and contempt with which issues concerning the Niger Delta Region are treated, particularly, by the present Administration.
”This assent, by President Buhari, simply speaks to the repugnant attitude of disregard, propelled by arrogance, disdain, and contempt with which issues concerning the Niger Delta Region are treated, particularly, by the present Administration. What this act signifies is an unequivocal message to the Niger Delta people that how they feel and what they say, do not count, at all, in the Schemes of the Nigerian Project. That’s insensitive, abominable, and afar every boundary of proper Democratic practice, and, therefore, unacceptable to the good people of the Niger Delta, the critical economic nexus of the entire Nigerian territory”.
The statement added that Niger Delta people will speak, shortly, after full consultations on the best legal and political response to the PIB bill.
