As reactions continue to trail the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) passed for third reading in the National Assembly where 3%was allocated to Host Communities Trust Fund, the immediate past governor of Bayelsa State Senator Seriake Dickson has stated that investors would only prefer a conducive environment to operate.
Senator Dickson, in a chat with journalists at the National Assembly on Thursday, said it is not about the majority votes of 3% for the Host Communities of the Oil Producing states, but what is important is the conducive environment for investors to operate. Therefore, he argued that the executive arm of government mismanaged the bill that was why the senators voted in that manner.
He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari originally proposed 5% for host communities, but adding that the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva was canvassing for 2.5% for host communities at a public hearing a situation that many Senators and Honourable members were misled into voting against the 5% the committee came up with.
Dickson revealed that the invitation of Timipre Sylva and Mele Kyari, GMD, NNPC by the leadership of the Senate to brief the members the morning before the passage of the bill was the evil done to the Host communities.
According to the former Governor of Bayelsa state, PIB started from President Olusegun Obasanjo, Yar’adua sent the bill to the National Assembly proposing 10% for Host Communities Trust Fund and 10% for Frontier Basin Development when the late Rilwanu Lukman was Minister of Petroleum.
“It is true People are happy that at last, the National Assembly has been able to break the jinx concerning the PIB, but it must be done that it does not open another frontier for a crisis.
“Our security is yet to conquer Boko Haram, they have not conquered bandits and other forms of criminalities but we are now opening another frontier for crisis in about nine states”.
The ‘Country man’ as Dickson is fondly called opined that the current peace and stability in the Niger Delta region was the handiwork of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua who recognize the suffering people of the region through amnesty programs, therefore, he urged President Buhari to send back the bill to the National Assembly for proper consultation before he signs it to law.
