A-two-day Town Hall Meeting on Implementing Host Communities’ Provisions in the Petroleum Industry Act has been organized in Awka, with a call on host communities to see natural resources as a blessing and not an avenue for feud.

 

The town hall meeting, put together by Anambra State Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources in partnership with African Centre for Leadership Strategy and Development, is aimed at promoting sustainable development and addressing concerns of host communities and sundry stakeholders in the petroleum industry.

Addressing participants drawn from the host communities, relevant ministries and agencies, the academia, partners among others, the commissioner for Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Barrister Anthony Ifeanya, commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo for his doggedness in ensuring that Anambra State gets is rightful share as an Oil producing state in Nigeria.

Barrister Ifeanya, who noted that Anambra State Government, through the ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, targets to check, youth restiveness that characterized other Oil producing states, stressed that the natural resources should change the life of members of host communities, boost their economy and that of the state in general under harmonious and peaceful co-existence.

In a remark, the Executive Director, African Centre for Leadership Strategy and Development, Mr. Monday Osasah, said following the listing of Anambra State as an Oil producing state in Nigeria, they came to enlighten the host communities on the law that is guiding the Oil and Gas industries, for Anambra State to be a model to other states.

 

While calling for more of such Town Hall Meetings, Mr. Osasah implored extractive companies to sponsor more of such assemblies and charged participants to listen attentively, garner as much knowledge as they can to improve their skills and attitude to work.

Speaking on the overview of the Petroleum Industry Act, and Host Communities Provisions, the chief executive, Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Engineer Gbenga Kumulafe, who spoke through the head, Health Safety Environment and Community of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission in Owerri, Dr. Benjamin Okpa, while disclosing that the commission is saddled with the responsibility of implementing the law as it concerns Petroleum Industry Act, noted that they will ensure that the communities and the sectors do not cheat each other but maintain equilibrium.

 

In his goodwill message, the executive Secretary, Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, represented by the director, Policy, Planning and Strategy, of the agency Dr. Deter Bassi, urged extractive industries to ensure compliance with the provision of host community trust fund, which according to him, should be funded by three per cent of operating cost.

While the community and security co-ordinator of an Extractive industry at Ogbaru, Mr. Osmund Aneke, described the meeting as an eye opener as host communities are enlightened on the benefits of peaceful dialogue and negotiations.

 

The traditional ruler of Ezi-Aguluotu Aguleri, Igwe Lawrence Nwaofia, who spoke on behalf of other traditional rulers present, assured relative peace once there is absolute inclusiveness.

 

The town hall meeting featured lectures, question and answer sessions.

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