President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday assented to the Petroleum Industry Bill 2021 ignoring protests against the paltry 3 per cent allocated in the bill to the Niger Delta communities that bear the devastating effects of oil exploration.
Spokesman for the president, Mr. Femi Adesina said in a statement that Buhari who is undergoing a five-day quarantine after his London medical trip, signed the bill in his bid to fulfilling his constitutional duty.
He said the ceremonial part of the new legislation will be done on Wednesday, after the days of mandatory isolation would have been fulfilled.
With the presidential assent, the PIB has legal, governance, regulatory and fiscal framework.
“Working from home in five days quarantine as required by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 after returning from London on Friday, August 13, the President assented to the Bill Monday, August 16, in his determination to fulfil his constitutional duty.
“The Petroleum Industry Act provides legal, governance, regulatory and fiscal framework for the Nigerian petroleum industry, the development of host communities, and related matters.
“The senate had passed the Bill on July 15, 2021, while the House of Representatives did same on July 16, thus ending a long wait since early 2000s, and notching another high for the Buhari administration,” he added.
Recall that the senate had passed the Bill on July 15 while the House of Representatives followed suit on July 16.
The bill was passed amidst protests against the allocation of three per cent revenue to host communities in the Niger Delta, while a fund for the exploration of oil in frontier basins, mostly in northern states, received 30 per cent.
The equity share was rejected by the Southern Governors’ Forum and leaders of the south-south region, including a former minister, Mr. Edwin Clark.
Representatives of the area demanded 10 per cent, or in the minimum, five per cent as earlier passed by the House of Representatives.
Reacting to the president’s assent to the bill, the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) described the action as “unfortunate.”
The Forum said president had downplayed the concern of the oil bearing Niger Delta states about the 3 per cent provided in the bill for the development of the host communities.
PANDEF said in a statement it is a manifestation of the Buhari administration’s disregard for the feelings and concerns of the Niger Delta people.
It said in spite of the outcry and the condemnation that greeted the paltry 3 per cent provided for the development of the host communities and the outrageous 30 per cent of the NNPC limited profit allocated for the exploration of oil in the frontiers, the president had gone ahead to endorse the bill into law.
It further stated that the bill falls short of the expectations of the oil and gas producing communities adding that “it is a reality that this country does not care about the feelings and hopes and aspirations of the Niger Delta people while we continue to suffer the neglect and degradation and the decimation of our environment and our ecosystem.”
“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 Niger Delta people will speak, shortly, after full consultations, on this callous act, on the best legal and political response,” PANDEF said.
