Bayelsa Governor, Senator Douye Diri has bemoaned the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, (PIA) which according to him excluded roles for the states and local governments.
The Governor who described the Act as a “time bomb” with a lot of lacunas called for its urgent amendment, saying it was an aberration to exclude state and local governments from the Act since host communities were being directly administered by them.
The Bayelsa helmsman also described the provision of three per cent of oil proceeds accruing to host communities in the Act as grossly inadequate and called for an upgrade to 10%.
Gov. Diri spoke in Yenagoa Tuesday during the inauguration of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Center, ADRC’s Body of Neutrals by the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The Governor also expressed appreciation to the commission for siting the centre in Yenagoa, noting that the inauguration of the Body of Neutrals would enhance peace in Bayelsa and the Niger Delta region.
He restated his position that international oil companies in the region relocate their headquarters to states where they operate
The governor, who said his administration had worked hard to enthrone peace and security in Bayelsa, however, attributed part of the problem of insecurity to the alienation of Niger Delta people from job opportunities in the oil and gas industry.
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He therefore urged the NUPRC to absorb Bayelsans and people from the region to give them a sense of belonging.
“Let Bayelsans and people across the Niger Delta be employed in your commission. Part of the problem causing conflict is the alienation of our people from job opportunities in the oil and gas sector. There should be an inclusive process for our people to benefit from the resources in their land.”
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of NUPRC, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe had commended Governor Diri, for providing a befitting edifice for the Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre (ADRC) in Yenagoa, the state capital.
Komolafe described Senator Diri’s gesture as rare.
“I want to pay glowing tribute to Governor Diri. He has done something wonderful and demonstrated a rare gesture. It is first of its kind for the ADR centre, which is an indication of his desire to bring dispute resolution to his people. We promise to make effective utilization of this infrastructure,” he said.
The NUPRC chief executive said the centre would guarantee access to quality, cost-effective and time-efficient resolution of disputes that arise in the upstream petroleum sector.
The NUPRC Secretary and Legal Adviser, Mrs Olayemi Anyanechi, in her remarks, said the Body of Neutrals was made up of retired judges and other eminent professionals to bring about justice, equity and fairness to host communities.
