Host Communities Fight Dirty At Reps Hearing On PIB

The ongoing public hearing organised by the House of Representatives on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) hit a stumbling block as member of host communities exchanged blows during the hearing.

The fistfight broke out when the first group of the host communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas was invited to make their presentation at the hearing which took place at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.

But some other bodies kicked against the move, however, stood up and started shouting at one another. The shouting match dissolved into a rowdy session that further degenerated into fighting.

The situation became worse when members of the opposing sides began to exchange blows, forcing the lawmakers to seek the intervention of security operatives.

The leaders of the oil-rich areas under the aegis of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas had on Tuesday, openly rejected the 2.5 per cent proposed for them in the Petroleum Industry Bill 2020, being considered by the joint Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources, (Downstream, Upstream and Gas).

They insisted that nothing short of the 10 per cent of the operating expenditure they were demanding would be acceptable to them because the proposed 2.5 per cent was grossly inadequate to provide basic social amenities and improve the standard of living of their people.

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But the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, faulted the position of host communities who are insisting on collecting 10 per cent of the operating expenditure of the oil firms to set up a trust fund

Meanwhile, the host community is an integral part of the PIB, however, the issue of representation caused the pandemonium.