PIB: WAY FORWARD FOR THE NIGER DELTA

By Bassey E. Bassey

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Since the discovery of crude oil in Oloibiri in the present day Bayelsa state, neither the resources owners nor the host communities have peace as a result of suffering from one form of sickness or the other, suffering from environmental degradations, oil spillage adverse effects of gas flaring, abject poverty, oil pollutions, amongst the people in the region, high rate of unemployment, militancy, kidnapping and other forms of social vices in the region. The issue now is who controls the resources in different areas of the federation?

There cannot be a viable resource control without a true federalism and there cannot be a control of natural Resource as true federation is predicated on the condition that each government, that is state Government exercises the power to control the resource of human and natural within its territory. True federation and Resource control are twin concepts.

For these and many more,  Facility For Oil Sector Transformation (FOSTER) in collaboration with the community media, recently held a one day parley on Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) at Ibom Resort, Uyo in Akwa Ibom State.

Speaking at the event, an expert in petroleum sector, Mr. Sam Kabari analyzed the negative impacts Niger Delta Region have suffered from environmental pollutions and degradations. 

It is mind bulging when one considers the level of under development in the region in sharp contrast to the oil derivations to the region. Who’s responsible for such marginalization, corruption and lack of accountability of revenue derives from crude oil and gas resource?

Geographically, Niger Delta Region is located in the lower Niger Delta region with population of over 40 million people made up of different ethnic nationalities like Ijaws, Urhobos, Itsekiris, Efiks, Ibibios, Edos, Ikweres, Calabaris, Ogonis, to mention but a few. They are largely mangrove swamp with over 35 billion barrels of gas reserve than oil.

But Facilitator of the FOSTER, Engr. Joe Nwakwue enumerated how the PIB could benefits the host communities and accelerate socio-economic development in the region.

According to him, the recent re-introduction of petroleum industry bill 2020 in the National Assembly chat the way forward for all stakeholders, decision-makers, lawmakers, host communities and other ethnic nationalities to come together and collectively chat the way forward as regards the unity of purpose, participatory in all the affairs as contain in the documents of PIB, 2020.

Issues thrown up during the one day parley included the following;

a. The collective unity of purpose amongst the entire ethnic nationalities that made up of Niger Delta region and oil producing communities in the region.

b. The need to take their destiny with their hands without resorting to arm struggle.

c. Reducing the level of abject poverty in the region.

d. Fighting against environmental degradation, under development, oil spillage and adequate compensation to all the host communities.

e. The attitudinal change of all the stakeholders and their actions in the Niger Delta.

f. The level of compliances of the multinational oil companies prospecting and exploring the crude oil in the region, degrading and polluting the environment.

These will result on how PIB could help the oil communities in Niger Delta and help accelerate socio-economic and political development in the area.

As a result, the repercussionary effects of gold mining in Zamfara and Sokoto states, respectively should also be replicated in Niger Delta region where the people in the area are deprived of all the basic amenities like pipe-borne water, access to medical care, infrastructural facilities like schools and 21st century developmental equipment.

As a result, the people of Niger Delta region must ensure that their leaders are held accountable to the people, according to a media guru, Mr. Monday Ashibogwu Ph.D. He posited as follows:

–  the matching of derivations with the earnings gotten from the federal Govt.    (upstream and downstream sectors).  

– there should be a massive dissemination of information about our collective responsibilities as well as enlightening campaigns (sensitization campaigns), accountability and general well-being of the Niger Delta people.

– the total engagements and all inclusion of the Niger Delta people in brainstorming of    the Bill through their representatives in National Assembly.

– there should also be an objective reservations from the Niger Delta people and submit the copies to federation government about our demands.

The Multipliers effects of PIB;

PIB is about the oldest Bill in NASS, it was first introduced in NASS in the year 2000, under the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Up till now, different administrations have come and gone, but the bill was re-introduced into NASS in 2020.

The existing  law of oil and gas sector was established in 1969. In working together to get PIB Acts, the emphasis is laid on how to integrate and involve all the tiers of government, civil society organizations, media, experts and other actors to collaborate towards effective engagement of the people for the overall development of the region.

There is need to address all the pressing issues in Niger Delta region bordering on environmental degradation, infrastructural deficits and poverty, oil spill-pollutions, loss of mangroves, gas flaring and shoreline erosion.

In analysing some of these ecological menace in the ND, it has pollutions, deforestation of fuelwoods, evasive species and as nypa palm and water hyacinth have depleted this natural resources.

Another issue in contention is the gas flaring which is the control boring and unutilized natural gas that is associated with crude oil exploration. When considering gas flaring, Nigeria ranks 7th highest gas flaring in the world. In 2019, Nigeria flared 325 billion set of gas, though she aims to eliminate routine gas flaring by 2020 and unavoidable gas flaring to 2%. It is flared either as operational or routine, and this has resulted to the highest contributions to global warming and climate change.

-it also have adverse effects.

-it confuses and disorientates nocturnal animals.

-it degrades building materials e.g roofing sheets and blocks.

Response from the federal government:

in the past, the federal government had attributed the under development of the region to difficult terrain. But in year 2000, the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, set up the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to address issues in the region but up till date, the region has not experience the expected peace, socio-economic and political development. The NDDC was used to replace the Oil Mineral Producing Development Commission (OMPADEC) to increase the capacity building amongst the Niger Delta states.

In 2007, the administration of Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’adua set up the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to address the socio-economic development, formulations of policies to coordinate, supervise and helps to address the same issues in Niger Delta.

Moreso, in other to ensure peace in the region, there was a Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) to address militancy and armed conflicts in the region. But jas it achieved any purpose? Absolutely No?

Therefore, the PIB through the host communities can bring development to the region, if the people of Niger Delta learn from the modus operandi of the PIB.

THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PIB.

1. Foster sustainability, prosperity within host communities.

2. Provide direct social and economic benefits from petroleum operations to host communities.

3. Incorporations of petroleum of host communities development by settler’s funded by 2.5% of the actual Opex. Opex here means:- Operational Expenditure in the previous year.

To this end, the people of Niger Delta have continued to suffered setback in Nigeria because of poor presentations and representations towards Agenda Setting and there is also poor policy making.

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