By SAMUEL OYADONGHA

Yenagoa—The group, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, has flayed the decision of the Federal Government to renew the expired Oil Mining licences (OMLs) 67, 68 and 70 held by Mobil Producing Nigeria, in joint venture with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, for another 20 years.

Though the group lauded the quick response of the government to issue of renewal of oil licences it, however, described the decision as ill-timed and done at a wrong time when the issue of corruption discovered in the oil industry was yet to be resolved.

The group Executive Director, Rev. David Ugolor, said the decision of the government on the renewal of expired lease for IOCs at this time when there was so much uncertainty and corruption in the oil industry was most unfortunate.

Rev Ugolor, who spoke at the strategic meeting on the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, in a statementnoted that: “It is not in the best interest of Nigerians, especially as the joint venture agreement terms were shrouded in secrecy, as President Goodluck Jonathan had in February 2011, halted the renewal of leases for International Oil Companies, IOCs, operating in Nigeria, pending the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill.

”Why is it that the content of the signed documents by the Petroleum Minister cannot be made public for Stakeholders to peruse before the endorsement?”

According to him, “the secrecy that has shrouded the oil and gas sector is still being perpetrated, even in the light of all the efforts and promises of transforming the sector.

“Recent developments in the country, as regards the oil subsidy management, has exposed the irregularity and huge corruption that has characterized the operations of Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry for many years.”

In his remarks, Deputy Executive Director of ANEEJ, Comrade Leo Atakpu, noted that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Deziani Alison-Madueke, had taken steps to assure civil society groups on the intention of the Federal Government with the setting up of committees, such as the PIB Special Task Force Committee, the Sub-Technical Committee, the Special Task force on NNPC and the Petroleum Revenue Task Force – to accelerate reforms in the Nigeria oil & gas industry.