The Member representing Degema/ Bonny Federal Constituency of Rivers State in the House of Representatives, Hon Farah Dagogo has urged the federal government to mandate oil companies in the country to relocate to their states of operations
Hon Dagogo who stated this in Abuja on Thursday while receiving the Executives of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN)South-South who paid him a courtesy visit expressed deep concerns that the activities of the oil companies have not only been detrimental to the environment where they operate but have also exposed the inhabitants of the affected communities and states to damaging health hazards.
The lawmaker lamented that the oil companies have relocated their operational headquarters from these areas where they have committed loads of atrocities to supposed safe havens.
He pointed out that revenues, job employments, tax applicable to the states and other benefits that could be used to assuage those affected by these practices are rather hosted in cities far from their host Communities.
Hon Dagogo, however, hinted that he was already preparing a motion to be presented on the floor of the House seeking to compel all the Oil companies operating in Nigeria to relocate to their various states of operations without further delay.
The lawmaker who also called on the federal government to liberalize investment in solid minerals in the country explained that the relocation was fundamental as it would afford the oil companies and its regulators to have a first-hand experience of ‘obnoxious and heinous policies’ they have visited on ‘oil-bearing communities and States “.
According to him, “as a representative of those affected by these injustices, they have asked me to speak out and I have started the process and I’m confident my colleagues in the House will key into it because it is all about the people.”
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The regulators of the Oil and Gas companies expected to be affected by the relocations include Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), the Products and Pipelines Marketing Company (PPMC) and Nigerian Petroleum Exchange (NIPEX).
Dagogo also explained that the secondary motion he was working on bothered on liberalizing investment in Solid Minerals which would enable the country to not only diversify from its mono-economy status but create employment and revenues that could be a solution to the frequent borrowing to run the country’s budget.
He said Nigeria’s focus should not be on only oil, but other mineral resources across the country.
According to him, “massive employments, large scale investments and most fundamental, the incessant recourses to taking humongous loans to finance our budget will be fully addressed
Earlier, the PASAN National Vice President, South-South, Comrade Louis Okeleke reminded the lawmaker that his ascension from the state Assembly to the National Assembly was laced with huge expectations, especially from the south-south.
He encouraged the member to continually build on the enduring legacies he left at the State Assembly by pursuing impactful laws that would be beneficial to the people.
According to him, “We know of your capabilities and capacities, especially those of us from the South-South. I had the opportunity of observing you at close quarters when you were the House Committee Chairman on Education in the Rivers State House of Assembly and your performances speak volume. We expect that you would do even better at the National Assembly,” he said.