Two Warri based legal practitioners, Barr. Robinson Ariyo and Dr. Akpo Mudiaga Odje have faulted the local content act and the Petroleum Industry Bill, stressing that they do not take care of the interests of people of host communities.
Barr. Robinson Ariyo in a lecture at the just concluded maiden Delta State Oil and Gas Industry Stakeholders’ conference held at Effurun near Warri declared that rather than laying emphasis on host communities, the widely celebrated local content act stipulates that contracts should be given to Nigerians irrespective of where they come from.
According to him, the act should be given another consideration so as to benefit people of host communities, especially in the area of employment, training and contracts.
On his part, scion of the Odje legal dynasty and constitutional lawyer, Dr. Akpor Mudiaga Odje described the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB as a document that does not have the interest of the host communities at heart, a situation which according to him is dangerous.
While calling on indigenes of host communities to rise up against the bill which does not also enjoy the backing of political elites in Northern Nigeria, Dr. Odje opined that the global memorandum of understanding operated by companies in the Niger Delta do “not have any legal binding in law”.
Convener of the conference and Delta State Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Mr. Mofe Pirah promised that the conference will be organized regularly in order for peace and sustainable development to be achieved in oil and gas producing communities.
Our Correspondent reports that the Delta State government and two officials of Chevron Nigeria Limited delivered key note addresses at the two day conference which drew participants from across Delta State.
Copyright: Fresh Angle International (www.freshangleng.com)
ISSN 2354 - 4104
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