Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has described the three per cent allocation for host communities in the Niger Delta region as contained in the Act as meagre.
The governor of the South-South Nigeria state who commended the passage of the law, stated that the stipulated allocation for the host communities of oil exploitation was unacceptable.
Speaking in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, Wike said: “We believe that three per cent is not enough as regards the kind of pollution and environmental crisis we have had because of oil exploitation. I thought what Mr. President would have done was to tell members of National Assembly, yes, you have done what you are supposed to do, but again, you need to take into consideration the yearnings of the host communities.”
The governor bemoaned the exclusion of oil producing state governments in the implementation and administration of the three per cent oil revenue recommended for host communities in the PIA.
He expressed concern that the international oil companies would take advantage of this, to continually instigate crisis in oil producing communities in order not to pay the three per cent due the host communities.
Speaking on the ongoing constitutional amendment process, Wike said it was satisfying to know that such function was not an exclusive preserve of the National Assembly.
“The confidence people have today is that the amendment of the constitution will get to the states. Take for example, the federal government may not be in support of state police, but you have two-third of states that say they need state police, so in that case, state police will pass. There are issues that you may not like, but these are done on clause by clause basis.”
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
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