The Senator representing Bayelsa East in the Senate ,Sen. Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, has called on Niger Delta senators not to instigate violence in the region by making malicious and unfounded statements.
He stated this while reacting to a recent statement credited to Sen. Henry Dickson at a news conference on Friday in Abuja.
Dickson had recently accused the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva of reducing the host communities` development funds in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to 3% as against 5% proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Degi-Eremienyo said such statement was capable of instigating violence and could lead to civil unrest in the Niger Delta region.
He said Dickson`s statement was highly regrettable considering efforts put in by the minister in actualising the long awaited PIB bill.
“The true story was that the PIB as an executive bill was represented to the National Assembly proposing 2.5% of the total operational cost as host communities development trust funds.
“The lead debate was hot and protracted in both chambers. Lawmakers from the Niger Delta region including myself spoke.
“We argued for upward increase commensurate to our contributions and sacrifices, during the public hearing at various centres, host communities canvassed same position, “ Degi-Eremienyo said.
He explained that after rigorous and painstaking process from plenary to conference committee, the National Assembly put the host community funds at 3%.
This, he said, was the National Assembly decision not that of Sylva, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, wondering why he should be dragged into the issue.
He noted that while other governors from the region rallied round their people and lobbied lawmakers from other regions to support increase in the host community development fund, Dickson did nothing while he was governor.
According to him, Dickson was contented with spending 13 per cent derivation on developing his own villages, not host communities, leaving the oil and gas producing host communities to suffer their fate.
“It`s ridiculous to see him fighting pretentiously for host communities because he lacks moral grounds to criticise and attack Sylva,” Degi-Eremienyo said.
