PIB: Host community leader apologises over fight at National Assembly

National President of Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas, High Chief Benjamin Style Tamaranebi, has apologised to President Muhammadu Buhari for the fight between himself and Mike Emuh at the floor of the House of Representatives in the National Assembly.

Tamaranebi who made this apology at a press conference also apologised to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipreye Silva for the fight that took place on Thursday at the public hearing of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

He said the fight was orchestrated by those who want to ensure that the voice of the host communities was shut out of the processes leading to the passage of the bill in which the contribution of the host communities as critical stakeholders was important.

The press conference that was jointly addressed by the President and Secretary of HOSTCOM, High Chief Benjamin Style Tamaranebi and High Chief George Buknor called on the government to investigate the matter and apply appropriate sanctions to those whom the detail investigation would reveal are behind the shameful act.

He said despite efforts by such persons to deny host communities from lending her voice to the issues a the hearing, however, its memorandum on the PIB on the position of the host communities have been submitted and admitted by the committee of the House of Representatives and Senate on Petroleum downstream and oil and gas and they have assurances that the committee will rely on them for her final recommendation for the bill.

Tamaranebi said the entire group in the Niger Delta region are in sync on the issue of 10% equity as part of production in the oil and gas industry.

He said the land and source of the oil and gas being exploited constitutes the equity of the host community to the production process and land as an equity is above 2.5 in per cent being proposed by the PIB.

Tamaranebi said HOSTCOM is in a better position to utilize funds for the communities judiciously because it is wearing the shoes of the degradation and pollution of the environment and can tell where it pinches.

He said health facilities, school infrastructure, water are in huge demand yet while there are reports of 13 per cent derivation, contribution to NDDC and other such intervention, the host communities are the worst for it.

He maintained that HOSTCOM is in a better position to meet the needs of the people with the various revenue that accrues to the region as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC) has woefully failed for being a conduit for political parties in power to fund their private projects and programmes.

According to him, any political party that comes to power use the NDDC to fund her project.

Secretary of HOSTCOM, George Buknor said the association is also uncomfortable with the terminology ‘settlor’ for investors as it suggest a grand design to make for future takeover of their lands by the investors who have failed in executing corporate social responsibility and funding clustering initiative to ameliorate the health and environmental damages suffered by the people.

George said the federal government should stop collecting penalty for gas flaring that causes all forms of health hazards to the people to fund federal allocation but pool the money and use it to develop the host communities.

This he said would advance the economy, education health and environment if the people as the resources would projects and infrastructure that would better the lives of the people.

All the government interventions and agencies set-up to provide for the Host Communities Producing Oil and Gas have failed in delivering the desired Sustainable Development expected of them and also failed in the spirit that informed its establishment for the Host Communities who are the direct recipients of the negative effect of exploration and exploitation.

“Therefore the Gas Flare penalty fund be collected by the relevant authorities and released to the Host Communities. 2020 was earmarked to end Flare. The Federal Government should ensure that the Operating Companies operate zero gas flare.”

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