EditorTHE Niger Delta Congress has rejected the Petroleum Industry Act recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The group made its position on the Bill known through a statement signed by its spokesperson, Barr. Ovunda C. Eni, and made available to Prime Business Africa.
The statement read, “It would be incredulous for anyone to think that the different ethnic nationalities of the Niger Delta will assent to a legislation whose very first clause dispossessed the people of their rights to their resources and by extension, lands.
“Bearing this in mind, we believe it will be a total waste of time discussing the contents of the Petroleum Industry Act. Nonetheless, we appreciate the revelations on the obvious tyranny and lack of empathy by the majorities for the region, and also the indolent roles played by the political leaders of the Niger Delta region in the preparation and eventual passage of this Bill into Law.
“Consequently, the NDC urges all the various ethnic nationalities of the region to reject this obnoxious law and immediately call for a total restructuring of this country and ensure we protect what is rightfully ours. We also use this medium to call on all peoples of the Niger Delta to make themselves available for the Niger Delta Peoples Conference holding on the 8th and 9th of October, 2021 in Bayelsa State, Nigeria.”
After some very tedious process over the years, the President on Monday finally signed the Petroleum Industry Bill into law.
But it has generated controversy so far, especially from the people of Niger Delta, who feel shortchanged by the provisions of the Act.
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