...Rejects governors move to appoint trustees

By Udeme Akpan

THE Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas, HOSCON, has identified 154 petroleum and pipeline communities for engagement, under the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA.

The National Chairman of HOSCON, Dr. Mike Emuh, who disclosed this at a town hall round table meeting in Warri, Delta State, said that the communities would benefit from the provisions of the PIA, not the States.

The state governors had canvassed for the appointment of trustees into the Host Communities Trust Commission, a development that attracted resentment from the oil and gas-bearing communities.

However, speaking at a town hall round table meeting in Warri, Delta State, Dr. Emuh, said: “They were in support of the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB. Now, it has been passed, they want to come and hijack it.

“We are to take a decision on it. In next year’s budget, any community that has an oil and gas pipeline will be paid according to their assets.

“We have 154 communities that produce oil and gas. So, we must have 154 grass root structures. The money should be received every month and managed by the people themselves.

The Host Communities of Nigeria, Producing Oil and Gas (Hoscon), has rejected the decision of South-South governors to appoint trustees for the Host Communities Trust Commission.

He said: “The PIA is made up of three broad spectrums, namely the law that guides the government, the law that guides the oil companies and the law that guides the host communities.

“The governors cannot decide for the host communities. 13 per cent Derivation Fund was provided for in the 1999 Constitution as amended. Section 162(2) made it compulsory that the 13 per cent Derivation Fund is for the host communities as a result of their loss of fishing rights and farming rights.

“But the governors are the ones enjoying it till today. They hijacked it from the host communities.

“These people (governors) have misappropriated over N44 trillion so far. They still want to hijack the three per cent of the Host Communities Trust Fund in the PIA again.

“Three per cent Trust Fund is an issue that has to do with the entire oil-producing communities of the Niger Delta. It does not have anything to do with governors.”

He added: “I want to say that whatever meeting the governors held, our destiny is not in their hands. We have been suffering in their hands.

“They are the problems we have been having in the Niger Delta. Thank God for President Muhammadu Buhari who has brought to an end the crisis that was in the Niger Delta in terms of pipeline vandalism, terms of illegal refineries and stealing of crude oil.

“Today, these things have been minimised. So, the governors should not come to look for the trouble of the host communities.

“I want to say that they have the right to express their will but we will allow the provision of the law for the implementation.

“The law made it very compulsory that the host communities will carry out the nomination of the people to control the three per cent in the Host Communities Trust Fund Commission.”

He added: “It is called Host Communities Trust Fund Commission in the PIA, not Governors Trust Fund Commission.”