By Pius Dukor, Port Harcourt
Two years after former President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Petroleum Industrial Bill into law, many communities in the Niger Delta are yet to open an account as a cretaria for setting up the Community Trust Fund of the Petroleum Industrial Act( PIA).
The Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Comrade Auwal Ibrahim Musa dropped the hint at a one day training programme on “Strengthening civic actor’s awareness and capacity for local engagement on oil host community development” in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
The Executive Director, who was represented by the programme Manager, CISLAC, Comrade Chinedu Bassey, lamented that two years after the signing of the PIA bill into law, oil host communities remain largely under-informed about the provisions of the PIA, its regulations and the processes for establishing their Trust.
According to him, only 76 development trust fund have been registered, only 45 accounts have been created and only 38 accounts have been funded, adding that many Development Trust have not been registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), thereby delaying the process.
He used the event to call on the media, civic actors, Civil Society Organisations, Community Based Organisations to harmonise efforts at creating awareness in the communities to achieve the outcomes and impact.
He, however, maintained that commendable strides have been made towards the implementation of the Petroleum Industrial Acts (PIA), including the release of the Petroleum Host Community Development Trust, regulations and template and procedural guidelines by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), noting that the Accountability in Extractive Sector cluster are part of the meeting.
In her presentation, titled “Overview of the progress towards the effective implementation of Host Community Development provision of the PIA” Ejero Ufondu, Director Host Community Desk of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), represented by Omolade Awa, expressed determination of the Commission to engage more stakeholders for awareness creation, but admits that the process of registration of Community Trust Fund is very rigorous and slow.
She lamented that since the days of the establishment of the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission, (OMPADEC), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and even the 13% oil derivation to Niger Delta governors, no tangible projects are undertaken in the communities that bear the brunt of the oil exploitation.
“The Niger Delta is still under-developed with abject poverty and no significant socio-economic development”, she added.
Earlier, the Senior Programme Officer of CISLAC and Tax Justice and Extractives Programme, Munachi Ugochukwu, stated that the important thing was to sensitize the communities so that they can engage the oil companies effectively.
“We should work together to amplify our efforts” he said.
He tasked participants to contribute possitively to how communities can open their account with the establishment of the Community Board of Trustees.
In his goodwill message, Henry Ushie of OXFAM Nigeria, said the PIA Board of Trustees should include the women, the vulnerable and people with disabilities.
Jude Samuelson of the Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), who was represented by the programme Manager, SDN, Dr. Samuel Agbola, delivered paper on” Identifying challenges and opportunities in advancing establishment of Trust and associated structures”.
Participants observed that Section 236 of the PIA provides for the timeframe for the incorporation of the Community Trust within 12 Months after the signing of the bill into law but noted that no Settlor has been asked to pay the penalties after two years of the PIA Act.
They also complained against appointment of members of Political Parties into Community Board of Trustees.
