Work Against Petro Act Dep Senate President –Amaechi

Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has urged the National Assembly not to allow the new Petroleum Act before it to succeed, because it will further deepen the injustice already done to the people of the Niger Delta.

Governor Amaechi made the call on Monday while declaring open the 40th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) African region Conference at the Rivers State House of Assembly complex, Port Harcourt

The governor, who described the new bill as anti- Niger Delta, said it seeks to take away the total royalty of the people of the area without recourse to the environmental hazard suffered by them, adding that such intention would not in anyway represent justice, but impunity.

He advised that in considering the bill, both chambers of the National Assembly should rise above social and ethnic interests to ask the question, “ is the Niger Delta fairly treated in the content of this bill”?

Governor Amaechi lamented that instead of allowing the National Assembly consider the 5%, 25% and 70% allocated to the community, state and Federal Government, respectively as contained in the oil bill earlier submitted to it, a new one which seeks to erode all benefits to host community and states is now under consideration.

The crisis of the Niger Delta, he said, would only be resolved in the parliament, no where else, not even in court, it is only the parliament that can forget ethnicism and solve the problems of the Niger Delta”, Governor Amaechi stressed, and called on the National Assembly to protect the Niger Delta people “from the impunity and marginalisation of the majority, protect us from oppression and suppression of our right’, by enacting legislations that will protect the weak from the strong.

“ I do not support violence, Never!, he noted while emphasising that since the oil was for the common good of all Nigerians, management of the proceeds should be in such a way that communities and states who bear the direct brunt of these exploration should have something to show for it.

The governor recalled that even in the constitution of Boards of management of the oil industry, not one Niger Delta person was involved, noting that such actions were further promoting the under-development of the region and called on those involved to beat a retreat.

He congratulated parliamentarians from the African Region and the Commonwealth for coming in their numbers to deliberate on better ways of bringing the interest of their people to the fabric of their legislature, adding, the success or failure of a democracy rests in the two most important arms of government i.e the legislature and the judiciary ‘, and called for all hands to be on deck in efforts geared towards reversing most of the conflicts in Africa through people-centred legislations.

Also speaking, the outgone chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, African zone, Rt Hon Amusaa Mwananwambwa had commended the Rivers State Government for being a good host for the event.

Hon Mwanamwambwa, who is also the Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia said the 39th Conference of CPA in Cape Town, South Africa, deliberated on a number of issues, cardinal among which were strings of resolutions and urged members to give quality thoughts to the deliberation in course of the meeting.

Earlier in his welcome speech, Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Tonye Harry said the event was duty call to all parliamentarians and thanked Governor Amaechi for the support the state legislature needed to host a successful conference and wished parliamentarians well.

More than 1,000 parliamentarians and support staff from the commonwealth nations are attending the confab in Port Harcourt.

Meanwhile, Deputy Senate President, Hon Ike Ekweremadu says the reactions trailing the new Petroleum act before the National Assembly from people of the Niger Delta region was “uncalled for”.

According to him, it was wrong for people of the region to express the belief that the original petroleum bill presented to the national assembly has been withdrawn and substituted with a new one, explaining that no new bill has been introduced to that effect.

‘I have told the Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi that no bill was withdrawn, saying that the bill being considered by the national assembly is still the original one sent to them.

Hon Ekweremadu stated this yesterday while addressing newsmen shortly after delivering a lecture titled ‘ the global Economic Crisis: Implications for Africa” at the on-going 40th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Africa region, holding at the Rivers State House of Assembly, Port Harcourt.

He gave the assurance that the National Assembly would organise a public hearing on the bill where all Nigerians, including the people of the Niger Delta would come to explain their own view in respect of the bill”.

Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu (right) listening to member of Parliament and CPW Representative, Prof Shiela Tlow during the opening ceremony of the 40th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Africa Region Conference, in Port Harcourt, last Monday. Photo: Chris Monyanga.