The National President of Host Communities of Nigeria producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM), Benjamin Style has asked all that have collected their host communities trust funds to come up and do something tangible with the funds.
This he said will make the host communities to be developed and be in tandem with the reason for the establishment of Petroleum Industry Act.
Speaking on Wednesday in Yenagoa during an enlarged meeting between the Setlors and the host communities develop board of trustees, the national president called on all that are trustees to come up and give account of the money received so far disclosing that "if go to communities, there is nothing to show for the amount of billions of naira collected so far by these communities.
The national president HOSTCOM said:"If you are a trust chairman, go and tell your people that the funds have come so that disturbance will reduce in our various communities.
That will enable more oil to be pumped in our various communities so that more money will come to the communities and our communities will be transformed.
"Very soon, we will be going to various communities to asses the projects and to know whether they have used the funds wisely or not."
Also speaking, Sylvester Bighoro, field coordinator, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission representing Gbenga Komolafe, the Chief executive of NUPRC, added that the stakeholders meeting underscore the collective commitment of all stakeholders to fostering sustainable community development and accountability in the Niger Delta Region.
He disclosed that the establishment of Petroleum Industry Act has has introduced a structured and transparent framework for host community development trusts and ensuring that host communities directly benefit from upstream petroleum operations through socio economic development projects environmental management and capacity building.
He said:" The whole essence of establishing Petroleum Industry Act is to make sure that communities in the Niger Delta prosper.
" The success of HCTDs require collective commitment from all stakeholders.
"Let us use this opportunity to turn challenges into opportunities and drive sustainable, inclusive development in the Niger Delta."
In his submission, Safa Praise Perekebina, the chairman of host communities of Nigeria producing Oil and Gas, Bayelsa State chapter, maintained that the people were not abreast with what is going on in the petroleum industry and by extension PIA.
"Our people are seriously not informed and they don't also want to be informed. I'm ready to divulge information to those that are ready to know what is going on. When the people are aware, agitations will reduce.
"Some persons feel that it is only few person that are involved in the oil and gas sector. In as much as the oil is in our land, it is for everyone.It is only information that can transform our people.
"There is a trust in Bayelsa State that has up to 3 billion naira and most of the trust board members are not here because they know that we will unveil these things to the people.
"We have decided to liaise with Bayelsa State ministry of Mineral Resources, non governmental Organisations and HOSTCOM to call on those people to carry the people along and implement these projects.
"We need serious collaboration because some multinational are operating in the deep offshore where the state government doesn't even know that they are existing.Yet some trust are yet to be funded. These companies should be held responsible and I can't do that.
"State government should laise with NGOs to help out so that they will fund these trusts. State government should also force those that are not already to go and implement the projects to do so not doing the same projects that are already on ground so that the state will develop."
Bayelsa State Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Peter Afagha represented by Patimidi Tukuru said that "regular meetings like this will help our people to know where they are going.
"I want to plead with you that this kind of meeting should continue. He said.
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