By Adaobi Rhema Oguejiofor
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has assured that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which made provisions for Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) under section 20 of the Act, will suppress civil unrest and oil asset destruction.
The Commission Chief Executive (CCE) of NUPRC, Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, stated this at the two-day National Extractive Dialogue 2023, which was hosted by Spaces for Change (S4C) in collaboration with the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and with support from Ford Foundation in Owerri, Imo State.
Komolafe noted that past initiatives including the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) did not make much impact on communities.
The Commission Chief, who was represented by the Regional Coordinator of NUPRC, Owerri, A. M. Uviovo, said that the choice of Projects to embark on will be determined by the community, which means that the company will have unlimited access to the facilities.
In his own words, ” this also implies that any expenditure made by the company due to any denial of access, disruption of activities, vandalization and sabotage will be deducted from the three percent Trust fund of that financial year.
“The communities are therefore advised to take ownership of the facilities located in your domain to enable you to obtain the maximum benefit of the provision of the Petroleum Industry Act(PIA), 2021. I urge you to diligently work together to ensure that our communities continue to thrive positively to enable our country to progress and develop economically.”
The Executive Director of S4C, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, advised communities to embrace opportunities offered by the PIA, in order to achieve sustainable development.
She said that unlike in the past when communities were denied their entitlements, the legislation has created the opportunity for communities to be rewarded for the various minerals that abound in their areas.
The Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, on his part, stated that the involvement of NEITI is targeted at deepening the implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) at sub-national levels.