THE Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has said that Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has demonstrated no regard for the people of the Niger Delta by signing the 2021 Petroleum Industry Bill into law.
In a statement by its Spokesperson Ken Robinson on Monday, PANDEF said that it was unfortunate that Buhari neglected the agitations of the region regarding the bill, preferring rather to endorse the recommendations of the National Assembly.
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He said the people of the Niger Delta had been the ones bearing the risks of oil exploration on their communities and means of livelihood.
“It clearly shows the disregard for the feelings and concerns of the Niger Delta people by the Buhari administration,” the group said.
“It is very unfortunate that in spite of the outcry and the condemnation that greeted the paltry 3 per cent provided for the development of the host communities and the outrageous 30 per cent of the NNPC limited profit allocated for the exploration of oil in the frontiers, Mr President has gone ahead to endorse the bill into law.
“It is a reality that this country does not care about the feelings and hopes and aspirations of the Niger Delta people while we continue to suffer the neglect and degradation and the decimation of our environment and our ecosystem.
“The livelihood of our children has been devasted and we suffer the consequences of this industry operating in our environment with an insensitive government that its agencies are not enforcing the faulty laws to protect the environment from the operations of the industry.”
PANDEF insisted that the equity share must be 10 per cent for host communities and rejected the 3 per cent allocated for hos communities in the just signed Petroleum’s I Industry Act.
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