By Kassim Omomia
Pandemonium broke out at the ongoing public hearing on the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, as a disagreement between the leadership of the Host communities led to exchange of blows
Though details of what actually went amiss between the heads of the group is still sketchy, but it was learnt that hell was let loose when the group was asked to make its presentation at the second day public hearing of the PIB but was stopped by another member of the group
Some of the members reportedly engaged in physical combat which resulted into a rowdy session.
Some stakeholders hurriedly left the hall for fear of being trapped or injured during the fight.
But sources told this paper, that those who instigated the fight were sponsored.
The insider said they may have been induced financially to stop the leadership that was requested to make a presentation of the Host communities from doing so, apparently due to some internal disagreement of the leadership of HOSTCON
Meanwhile HRM Ovie Monday Obukuhwo whiskey of Idjerhe kingdom of Delta state has accused the Petroleum Pricing Marketing Company, PPMC of not doing anything to imortalize those died from the fire the gutted PPMC’s ruptured pipe over 10 years ago in Ijere community in Delta state
He said the problem of the area would have been better solved if the oil multinationals operating in the areas were oil and gas are actually prospected gave jobs to host communities
The monarch said ” PPMC was yet to do something to immortalise the dead resulting from the ruptured pipeline and also there are no jobs for our people”
These are the inadequacies, he argued , noting that” the Federal Government will spend less when the multinationals give us attention”
He particularly pleaded with Seplat , an oil multinational operating in the area to employ youths of his community
According to him, the Niger Delta people are hospitable but lamented that what agitation there was sponsored by external forces
He said the current PIB should be able empower the host communities , help them get what they want
“Host communities should be able to ask for they want”
On the 13 percent oil derivation to oil bearing states, he advised the Governors to utilize the money solely for the people , areas where oil production activities is actually taking place and nowhere else
He said full fledged exploration activities were not going on because the most communities were locked down
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