The host communities in the oil-rich Niger Delta have called for the scrapping of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)
The host communities made the call for the scrapping of NDDC barely 24 hours after a public hearing on the PIB 2020, organised by Senate’s Joint Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Upstream, and Gas.
The demand came as the communities insist that 2.5 per cent proposed for them in the new Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is unacceptable, saying they stand by 10 per cent, which the late former President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua proposed before it was shut down.
Speaking to newsmen on behalf of the host communities, the president of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM), Benjamin Tamaranebi explained how previous interventions set up by the federal government in the past have yielded little or no result, adding that it would be best to scrap the NDDC.
According to him: “These funds do not get down to the communities. It has always been hijacked by political groups or parties,” he said making reference to the 2.5 per cent equity share holding proposed in the PIB for the communities.
“NDDC is there, amnesty is there, there is even the Ministry of Niger Delta established by Yar’Adua. All these interventions are not significant to the communities,” Mr Tamaranebi said.
When asked if he wants the commission to be scrapped, he responded in the positive.
He said, “To be frank and sincere, that is my wish because they are not performing. NDDC has been there for about 20 years and nothing of good importance has been impacted in communities through it.
“Then why do you keep it there. Scrap it and form Host Communities Development Commission – where host communities will come in and that is the basis.
“Let our people, whom we trust, handle it. If you’re not doing well, we’ll hold you responsible for it.”
He further blamed the federal government for gas flaring in the region, which he said is slowly killing residents of the state.
”If these funds are directly given to the host communities…we know our pains, every community knows what to do and that’s what we will do,” he added.
