PIB: South-West Govs, Senators, Reps Insist On 5% For Host Communities

GOVERNORS of the South-West geo-political zone of the country
met with Senators and members of the House of Representatives from
the Zone, Tuesday night, over the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, and
other matters germane to the region.

At the meeting, the governors and lawmakers resolved that both
chambers must approve 5% of the actual annual operating expenditure
of the preceding financial year in the upstream petroleum
operations affecting the host communities for funding of the Host
Communities Trust Fund in the new PIB.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum, and
the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu(SAN), did not mention the
issue of PIB while briefing journalists at the end of the
meeting.

However, a source at the meeting told Vanguard, Not
Nairalaw that at the meeting the governors and the
lawmakers agreed to throw their weights behind the members of House
of Representatives on 5% for host communities.

Recall that the two chambers of the National Assembly, last week
Thursday, passed the PIB, after about 13 years of legislative
fireworks where the Senate approved 3% and House of Representatives
chose 5% of Operating Expenditure granted to the host communities
and 30% provision for the Frontier Exploration Fund.

The original bill brought to the Senate by the Executive was
2.5% for funding of the Host Communities Trust Fund, but the
Committee moved it to 5%, while the Senate at the end of the day
approved 3%.

The bill was first sent to the National Assembly in 2008 by
President Umaru Yar’Adua, now deceased, without translating it into
an Act.

The PIB 2020 seeks to introduce far-reaching reforms in the
Nigerian oil and gas industry.

Briefing journalists Tuesday night in Abuja after the meeting,
Akeredolu who was flanked by governors of Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos, Ogun
and Osun, said that the Zone will come up with a common position on
the constitution review that is currently being carried out by the
National Assembly.

According to him, a committee made up of chairmen of caucuses of
both the upper and lower chambers and Attorney-Generals of the
state to that harmonise and come up with a position and that will
have a serious impact.

Akeredolu said: “South-West governors held a meeting with
members of the House of Representatives and Senators from South
West.

“At the meeting, we discussed so many areas of interest, but
most importantly we deliberated on constitutional amendments and we
resolved that we will present a common position as regards to an
amendment to the constitution.

“And in order to achieve this, we set up a committee. The
committee is made of up senators led by the caucus chairman and
House of Representatives caucus chairman and attorneys of the south
west states.

“The committee is to harmonise our position so that we can
present it when necessary before the two the House and at the end
of the day have a constitutional amendment that has our serious
input.”

The meeting, which took place at Imo Hall, Transcorp Hilton
Hotel, Abuja, started at 8.10 p.m, with the Governor of Ondo State,
Rotimi Akeredolu(SAN) presiding and it came to an end at
10.10p.m.

In her opening prayer, Senator Oluremi Tinubu(APC, Lagos
Central) called on God to intervene in the affairs of Nigeria
against the backdrop that the country is at a crucial time in the
history of our nation.

The meeting had the newly passed PIB and the Electoral Act
Amendment Bill as the agenda.

GOVERNORS of the South-West geo-political zone of the country
met with Senators and members of the House of Representatives from
the Zone, Tuesday night, over the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, and
other matters germane to the region.

At the meeting, the governors and lawmakers resolved that both
chambers must approve 5% of the actual annual operating expenditure
of the preceding financial year in the upstream petroleum
operations affecting the host communities for funding of the Host
Communities Trust Fund in the new PIB.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum, and
the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu(SAN), did not mention the
issue of PIB while briefing journalists at the end of the
meeting.

However, a source at the meeting told Vanguard, Not
Nairalaw that at the meeting the governors and the
lawmakers agreed to throw their weights behind the members of House
of Representatives on 5% for host communities.

Recall that the two chambers of the National Assembly, last week
Thursday, passed the PIB, after about 13 years of legislative
fireworks where the Senate approved 3% and House of Representatives
chose 5% of Operating Expenditure granted to the host communities
and 30% provision for the Frontier Exploration Fund.

The original bill brought to the Senate by the Executive was
2.5% for funding of the Host Communities Trust Fund, but the
Committee moved it to 5%, while the Senate at the end of the day
approved 3%.

The bill was first sent to the National Assembly in 2008 by
President Umaru Yar’Adua, now deceased, without translating it into
an Act.

The PIB 2020 seeks to introduce far-reaching reforms in the
Nigerian oil and gas industry.

Briefing journalists Tuesday night in Abuja after the meeting,
Akeredolu who was flanked by governors of Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos, Ogun
and Osun, said that the Zone will come up with a common position on
the constitution review that is currently being carried out by the
National Assembly.

According to him, a committee made up of chairmen of caucuses of
both the upper and lower chambers and Attorney-Generals of the
state to that harmonise and come up with a position and that will
have a serious impact.

Akeredolu said: “South-West governors held a meeting with
members of the House of Representatives and Senators from South
West.

“At the meeting, we discussed so many areas of interest, but
most importantly we deliberated on constitutional amendments and we
resolved that we will present a common position as regards to an
amendment to the constitution.

“And in order to achieve this, we set up a committee. The
committee is made of up senators led by the caucus chairman and
House of Representatives caucus chairman and attorneys of the south
west states.

“The committee is to harmonise our position so that we can
present it when necessary before the two the House and at the end
of the day have a constitutional amendment that has our serious
input.”

The meeting, which took place at Imo Hall, Transcorp Hilton
Hotel, Abuja, started at 8.10 p.m, with the Governor of Ondo State,
Rotimi Akeredolu(SAN) presiding and it came to an end at
10.10p.m.

In her opening prayer, Senator Oluremi Tinubu(APC, Lagos
Central) called on God to intervene in the affairs of Nigeria
against the backdrop that the country is at a crucial time in the
history of our nation.

The meeting had the newly passed PIB and the Electoral Act
Amendment Bill as the agenda.