By Victor Edozie (Port Harcourt)
Host communities of Nigeria, HOSCON has inaugurated Rivers west senatorial district Petroleum Industrial Trust Fund .
Inaugurating the PIA Trust Fund at Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State , the national Chairman of HOSCON, Dr. Mike Emuh said the different stages of the struggle by the host communities of Nigeria led to the passage of the PIA, its Presidential accent, giving rise to the PIA.
He was among those who fought for what belong to the host communities, noting that they fought for the 13% derivation which is now the right of the oil producing communities.
” We are fighting for the gas flare penalty which the host communities have been denied. That’s what we are fighting for.
“We are fighting for the fact that six traditional rulers in Nigeria are owners of oil blocks; only one came from the West and none from the south”
” What we’re fighting for is that you produce oil and gas but yet you do not have the data and therefore you do not know your production quantum, neither do you know your right based on the local content law of Nigeria”.
We are not fighting to become chairman or secretary; we are talking of the amalgamation of the scheism and division among us, emphasizing on how to better the lives of our children, he said.
He congratulated the host communities for the eventual realization of the PIA(3%) trust fund.
Decrying the failure of government to spread development to the oil producing communities, Mike Emuh revealed that states like Rivers , Akwa Ibom, and Bayelsa failed to create an oil producing area development commission as directed by president Obasanjo who he said formed the socio- economic concept for cluster states.
He noted that Delta, Abia, Edo and Ondo states that created their respective commissions shared their 13% derivation with the host communities.
He also called on the traditional rulers to make nominations of sons and daughters that would be faithful to the masses and avoid those he said “will go and deceive themselves and also deceive us,” saying that the time has come for the oil and gas producing communities to benefit from what belong to them.
High light of the occasion was the swearing in members of the local government areas steering committee, good will messages and cultural performance.