Thread by @sheiduhabib_

Fot the past 20 years of trying to enact a reform in the oil sector, the Niger deltans have continued to suffer. Multinational companies are making huge profits while majority of the people live on less than $1 a day.

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@nassnigeria

#NASSRevisitPIB

The economy in the Niger Delta is almost exclusively oil driven, and many people are involved, illegally, in oil extraction. The Niger Delta bear the burden of environmental degradation from the oil industry, but see very little of the benefit.
#NASSRevisitPIB

Life expectancy in the Niger Delta is 41yrs. What causes this? The degradation of the environment from oil exploration activities. The environment has been visibly ravaged and it affects the economic activities and livelihoods of the people in the region. #NASSRevisitPIB

A fisherman from the region once explained years ago that, “Fishing is my only means of living… my family is in trouble because these days, I hardly catch fish that will feed me alone, not to talk of my entire family”.
#NASSRevisitPIB

This and more are what the people living in the region that cater for our economy face. The PIB which is a vital piece of legislation has passed second hearing in both chambers and now set for public hearing on 25th-26th of this month.
#NASSRevisitPIB

In the Host community component of the bill, companies devote 2.5% of their operating expenses to fund community trusts,...
#NASSRevisitPIB

...the creation of which could take up to one year after a prospecting or production licence is awarded, reducing the actual duration of the licence by as much.
#NASSRevisitPIB

The 2020 draft PIB aims to remove the regulatory responsibilities currently discharged by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), thereby limiting its role to that of a producer. #NASSRevisitPIB

The legislation thus intends to put an end to the aberrant policy of entrusting the state-owned oil company with anti-pollution efforts by asking it to fine itself when it causes oil spills or practices gas flaring outdoors. #NASSRevisitPIB

However, communities in question, for their part, seem to have been left out of the equation. #NASSRevisitPIB

For example, they don’t need to be consulted prior to setting up the trusts, whose institutional and tax-exempt framework is the only aspect likely to really distinguish them from the agreements already signed with operators in the industry. #NASSRevisitPIB

The Public hearing is avenue for people to contribute especially to vaguely defined areas in the PIB. The importance of solving the Niger Delta issues now can never be overemphasized as the world is going greener, the region will be abandoned soon.
#NASSRevisitPIB

I implore all well-wishing citizens especially the Niger Deltans to join in this advocacy by sending messages to their legislators telling them to make sure it's a decent bill and most especially, it should be passed as soon as possible. It is long overdue. #NASSRevisitPIB

I have a compilation of strictly Niger Delta Legislators and their contacts. You can check the link below for your constituency and message them accordingly.
medium.com/@mezeyge/niger…
#NASSRevisitPIB

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