…x-ray grey areas, host communities’ rights
Stakeholders and experts in the oil and gas industry in Rivers State have expressed the need for a clear understanding of the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and how oil exploration impacted communities in the 23 local government areas of the state can access the Act to protect their rights or seek redress in case of infringement caused by oil exploration activities.
A two-day sensitization workshop held on Monday and Tuesday at Golden Tulip Hotel (L.A. Kings Complex), Ken Saro Wiwa Road, Port Harcourt, under the auspices of the Centre for Advance Law Research, Rivers State University and F1 Team Associates, in partnership with the Rivers State government, served as the platform for the robust discourse on the provisions of the PIA, with specific focus on chapter 3 that deals with the rights of host communities.
In his presentation, Samuel Chika Dike, professor of energy and comparative environmental law, faulted grey areas of the Petroleum Industry Act that sought to sideline host communities and which settlors (oil and gas companies and workers residing and operating in their host communities) capitalise on to infringe on their host rights.
To address the shortcomings, Dike said there was a need for political will to accelerate the effective implementation of host community development provisions of the Act and the host community regulations to achieve development.
He added: “Promote synergy between government, host community and IOC to enhance cooperation and goodwill. Amend Section 257 (2) to allow for collaboration between host communities, the operator and the government to protect petroleum facilities and ensure smooth sailing of petroleum operations.
“Amend PIA host community provisions to allow for increased host security involvement in HCDT establishment and implementation. Settlors should not be the one to choose members of the HCDT boards.”
Another expert, Kato Gogo Kingston, a professor of energy and natural resources law at the faculty of law, Rivers State University, said host communities had a right to seek redress through the channels specified in the PIA when they felt their rights had been violated by the oil companies operating in their domains.
Speaking on the topic, Host Communities Dispute Resolution, he noted that Chapter 3 of the PIA addressed matters relating to the host communities.
Jude Ndubuisi, a legal practitioner, public policy and oil and gas expert and lead consultant at F1 Team Associates, who spoke on the Fundamentals of the Petroleum Industry Act ( Chapter Three) – Insights, Structures and Analysis, said the sensitization workshop was informed by the need to educate host communities on the provisions of the PIA and how they can access them to protect their rights.
BusinessDay reports that some local government chairmen and representatives of the oil and gas host communities from the 23 LGAs of Rivers State attended the 2-day sensitisation workshop.
