The southern governors of Nigeria have joined many other Nigerians to condemn the newly amended Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) at a meeting held in Lagos to review the situation of the country.
Recall that the Niger Delta Congress (NDC) has picked holes in the newly passed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), saying it came as “one legislation too many, aimed at purloining the resources of Niger Delta.”
In a statement by its acting spokesman, Ovunda C. Eni, the group said the “disappointing news” did not come to it as a surprise. The NDC regretted the “laissez faire attitude of some Niger Delta leaders”, claiming that a bulk of them exhibited “treachery and criminal passivity to the contents of the bill.”
Among other resolutions at the highly highly successful meeting, the governors rejected the proposed 3% while giving its supports for the 5% share of the oil revenue to the host community as recommended by the House of Representatives.
Reading the communique after the closed-door meeting, the governor of Ondo State and chairman of Southern Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, stated that the forum also rejected the proposed 30% share of profit for the exploration of oil and gas in the basins and ownership structure of the proposed Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).
He further said that the southern governors disagreed that the company be vested in the Federal Ministry of Finance but should be held in trust by Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) since all tiers of Government have stakes in that vehicle.
While revealing that Lagos State as been chosen as forum’s permanent secretariat, he commended the state governor for the wonderful hosting of the meeting and the developmental works being carried out in the state.
Akeredolu, however, touched on electronic transmission of election results being debated at the national assembly.
“To consolidate our democracy and strengthen the Electoral process, the Southern Governors’ Forum rejects the removal of the Electronic transmission of the election result from the electoral act; and also rejects the confirmation of exclusive jurisdiction in pre-election matters on the Federal High Court,” he concluded.
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