By Emma Amaize
The HOST Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas, HOSTCOM, Delta State Chapter, led by Hon. Benjamin Iwetan, has thrown its weight behind the plan of Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, to reform the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC.
Uduaghan had sent a 29-page bill to the state House of Assembly for the establishment of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Commission, Five Ethnic Nationalities Oil Producing Development Agencies, Five Ethnic Nationalities Producing Areas Investment Corporations and Other Matters Connected Therewith.”
The bill, which has passed first reading will come up for second reading tomorrow, Tuesday.
However, the national leadership of HOSTOCOM, headed by Prince Maikpobi Okareme, kicked against the bill, saying the governor wants to scrap DESOPADEC.
Differing with its national leadership, Delta HOSTCOM in a letter, dated 24 April, to the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, called for speedy passage of the bill, saying, “We have thoroughly studied the 29-page bill and hereby state that it is in consonance with our objectives, hopes and aspirants of the oil and gas – producing ethnic nationalities in the state.”
He said the bill if passed into law would fast track development of oil communities, adding that the Ika and Aniocha ethnic nationalities should be incorporated into DESOPADEC , its agencies and corporations since significant exploration and exploitation of oil and gas have begun in these areas
“We also sue for proper and accurate assessment of oil and gas producing quantities in these areas,” it asserted.