Direct participation of oil communities will check restiveness in N/Delta —HOSTCOM

A direct participation of oil-bearing communities in the oil and gas operations will mitigate tension and youth restiveness in the Niger Delta.

This is the panacea provided to checkmate agitations in the region by the National Chairman of Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM), Dr Style Benjamin, at an event attended by representatives of governors of Delta, Edo, Ondo and Akwa Ibom states in Warri, Delta State.

He averred that a direct participation of oil communities in petroleum operations would substantially eliminate tension in the oil-rich, but underdeveloped Niger Delta.

Speaking at the inauguration of the new executive of the group at the weekend, Benjamin stressed that 10 per cent equity net profit of oil and gas exploration should be paid to host communities from the monthly derivation of the Federation Account.

He called on the Federal Government and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to concede 10 per cent equity participation shares to host communities from all licences and leases with five per cent coming from Federal Government and five per cent from the oil and gas companies.

“Host communities should be directly involved in the management of their resources to give them sense of belonging.

“Oil is regarded as a national asset as a result of the Land Use Act. Therefore, incomes derived from it are shared by all tiers of government. The same cannot be said of gas flare fines.

“The 1985 Associated Gas Re-injection Act, which introduced payment of fines, should be amended by this act, so that gas flare fines are paid directly to the host communities as injuries and damages.

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“Host communities should be allowed to manage oil blocks and marginal fields to fast track development in the oil producing communities.

“Similarly, if host communities are to be penalised for pipelines vandalism in their communities, responsibility to  protect those pipelines/facilities should be assigned to the host communities,” he added.

He also reiterated the call on multinational oil companies to relocate their headquarters in the country to the Niger Delta region.

According to Benjamin, “Our vision is to join forces with government, government agencies, multi national oil and gas companies to create enabling environment  devoid of youth resitiveness, hijack/kidnapping and wanton destruction of oil and gas facilities within our nationalities and across the Niger Delta region.

“It is our goal to ensure increased production of oil and gas from facilities in our locality, as this translates to how much accrues to us from the development of our areas by way of derivation.”