Wike urges PIB to allocate 10% of revenue to oil-bearing communities

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers on Thursday advocated that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), currently before the National Assembly, should allocate 10 percent oil revenue to host communities.

Wike made the call when members of the National Assembly Committee on PIB visited him at the Government House, Port Harcourt, DailyTimes gathered.

He said it was necessary that the bill specified, in clear terms, developmental projects that the allotted fund should be spent on, to actualize the goal and demands of the host communities.

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The governor said that oil-bearing communities have suffered the loss of livelihood due to the activities of international oil companies (IOCs).

“It is unfortunate that people produce oil but live in poverty. I believe that the PIB committee will make recommendations of how certain per cent must be given to the host communities.

“There are issues of education and health, so don’t just say 10 percent to the oil host communities, it must be tied to specific projects so that whoever is in charge will take note of them,” he said.

Wike urged IOCs not to engage host communities in the sharing of funds to avoid their killing one another instead of using such funds for sustainable projects.

He advised that the mistakes associated with the Act establishing the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) be avoided as it did not specify what projects the commission should embark on in the Niger Delta.