Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB): The Ilaje Youth Congress (IYC) have demanded 10 per cent as against the proposed per cent and 5 per cent share of the oil revenue to the host community as recommended by Senate and the House of Representatives respectively.
In a statement sent to GBETU, the IYC says they see “the proposed 3% and 5% by both the Senate and the house of representative as against the initial 10% that was proposed and presented to the National Assembly in the year 2008 as an unjust and barbaric and a means “to Robb peter to pay Paul” as there hasn’t shown in the bill any fairness to the host communities that suffer the direct effect of oil exploitation in the region.”
Signed by Comrade Aiyenuro Shadrack Gbenga, President and Comrade Ayo Esrom A. Peter, Secretary; the IYC being member of the Niger Delta states agitators and the coordinating body of all youths association in Ilaje Nation expresses profound displeasure on some lines in the just passed Petroleum Industry Bill.
The group therefore, “in tandem with the resolutions from the southern governors forum meeting, we demand for a review of the said PIB. Ilaje in particular had suffer a lot of degradation from the oil exploitation and other form of disasters ravaging the land. Therefore, to this regard we will not accept anything below 10% as host communities development fund.”
“Furthermore, the Ilaje Youth Congress want to quickly inform the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio that his stands on this demand should be for the interest of the people in the mandate area, and that the harmonization committee on the Petroleum Industry Bill to see all reasons necessary for the approval of a reasonable 10% as demanded by the host communities.”
