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NBA, NDDC Seek Resource Ownership at Community Level

Ahamefula Ogbu in Port Harcourt

Niger Delta Oil Industry
 

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) yesterday rose from a conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State with a recommendation that communities should own and control onshore and offshore oil deposits in their areas and pay royalties to the government.
The position contained in a 25-paragraph communiqué issued at the end of the conference tagged: “Law and Development Project” translates to resource control by the communities.
Communities in Niger Delta playing host to most of the multi-national oil companies have always insisted on resource control.
Participants at the conference said the outcome of the parley would form the backbone of bills NBA would soon send to the National Assembly.
In a communiqué signed by the First Vice-President, NBA, Chief George Akuro, and Acting Director of Legal Services in NDDC, George Ero, the conference also recommended the review of some oil and gas laws and regulations as well as the abrogation of the Land Use Act as they affect participation and ownership of oil facilities.
The organizers who refused to take questions from journalists after presenting their communiqué also canvassed for a mechanism that will enable participation by host communities in decision making especially on matters of oil.
According to the communiqué, “There should be a review of all oil and gas laws, regulations and the Land Use Act as they affect ownership and participation.
“Ownership and control of both offshore and onshore oil be vested in the communities with a proviso to pay royalties to determine the level of government.
“A new mechanism be devised that would enable oil communities to participate in decisions concerning oil exploration and production activities as the current regime expropriates the rights of the communities.”
The conference also called for a law to make the Niger Delta Regional Development master plan a binding document for the development of the region.
Participants at the conference also counseled the region to enter into dialogue with the Federal Government in order to help enforce the legal rights of the people of the region.