A militant group, Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders
(NDRC), has threatened to resume attacks on oil installations in the region.
NDRC said it would resume attacks on oil installations due
to the three per cent allocated to host communities in the recently passed
Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) by the National Assembly.
Spokesperson of the group, WO 1 Izon-Ebi, described the
percentage allocation to host communities as unfavourable.
Izon-Ebi, in a statement, said the PIB is a coup against
people of Niger Delta, adding that it would fight until the bill is reviewed.
The group warned that its commanders have returned to the
creeks of the Niger Delta, in preparation to strike.
The statement titled, ‘We Will Defend Our God Given
Resources’, said: “We will fight until obnoxious sections in the PIB are
reviewed by the National Assembly, commanders have returned to the creeks of
the Niger Delta region waiting to strike.
“For 56 years, the region has suffered desecration of its
sacred places like worship centres, lands, streams, lakes and severe
environmental degradation without remediation.
“While the government and people of Zamfara State are
allowed to control 100 per cent of their gold resource (fiscal federalism
applying in Zamfara State), what the people of the Niger Delta region could get
from their own natural resource is a paltry three per cent for host communities
and in contrast, a whopping 30 per cent for exploration of frontier basins.
“We will defend our resources and protect our region from
further mindless pillage of our God given resources.”
The National Assembly had recently passed the PIB, which allocates three percent to host communities, sparking criticism among Nigerians.
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While don't they allocate 30% to the oil producing communities?
ReplyDeleteIn fact return the country to true federalism enshrined in 1960s constitution. The unitary government called federalism in Nigeria is not working and can't make us develop as a country. Feeding bottle process that is why some zones want one Nigeria at all cost because they relies on oil from other zones to survive.