By Dayo Johnson, Akure

The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, said that the Host Communities Development Trusts (HCDT), would positively curb restiveness in oil communities area in the country.

Komolafe, who said this during a sensitization programmes organized by NUPRC in Akure, Ondo state capital, added that it will offer enabling environment for operators to thrive.

Speaking through the Warri Coordinator,
Mr Benjamin Ogunnubi, the Executive Officer, said the Trust will ensure and sustain peace and harmony between the oil communities and oil companies in their day-to-day management

According to him “Trust was put in place to strengthen ties between host communities, oil companies and other stakeholders to boost oil production in the country.

“One of the expectations of the government for setting up the Trusts is that they will appease the host communities, they will make the host communities to be come part of the business.

“This will also create a sense of belonging for the host communities so that in return the host communities will help to protect oil and gas facilities in their areas.

“There is a provision in the PIA Act that says that any host community that destroys the facility of oil companies, the amount for replacing for the facility will be deducted from the money that should be go to that community”

Also, speaking during sensitization programme, lead consultant and facilitator for the Post Development Sensitization Forum, Dr Francis Adegwue, said the essence of the Trust was to integrate oil bearing communities into the value chain and effectively cater for the development needs of impacted communities.

Adegwue pointed out that the Host Communities Fund initiative would guarantee seamless operation, boost investor confidence, and provide enabling environment for sustainable development of the country’s hydrocarbon resources.

” The sensitization forum is focused on creating an awareness of what the commission is doing by the way of implementing the post community development provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021

“The Sensitization programme is suppose to create an awareness to provide communication, information and to education the people who will be implementing the act in the host communities and that will include the oil companies, who are the settlors, and the members of the Board of Trustees who will be selected based on consultation between the settlors and the members of the host communities.

“Also, the sensitization will include members of the management committees, members of the advisory Committees and also members of the host communities including their representatives, traditional rulers and those who will be participating in the sensitization programmes.

“The essence of the workshop is to ensure that everybody understand their role, and that this money that will be made available to the Trust, the Host Communities Development Trust does what it suppose to do.

“So, the programme is to properly educate them on what their roles will be and also to create awareness on what are the expectations of government with respect to this post community development trust.

“Our government expect that there should be some reciprocity, that by providing resources for the development of the host communities, they will also create an enabling environment for the oil companies to work peacefully, harmonious environment because the essence of the act is to provide resources for the development of the host communities and put those resources in the hands of the host communities themselves so that they will use it for their own development.

A member of the host communities, who is the Secretary of Amalgamation of Ilaje Ugbo Coastal Communities Association (AMAICOMMA), Omoyele Kehinde AMAICOMMA, said the sensitization will go a long way to educate the host communities on the PIA Act

Kehinde noted the sensitization will help “to educate the host communities in the PIA Act that is already in the pipeline, the implementation, the benefits therein and the dos and don’ts and what can be done to engineer development to the host communities in particular.

“The bottom line is to get people informed of what the law says and the role of the setlaws and the regulators in this arrangement.

He added that “This is an arrangement by an umpire who is to administer to ensure that every party involved in this arrangement keep to what the law says, abide by the rules, regulations so that the purpose of chapter three of the PIA can be fully achieved and the benefits therein accruable to the host communities”