Land Use Act, A Demon – Activist

The Land Use Act en
shrined in the nation’s constitution has been described as a ‘demon’ and the biggest obstacle frustrating  the efforts of people from oil producing areas, especially in the Niger Delta region, from controlling their resources.
An activist, Mr Ebi Waribo stated this at a stakeholders forum held Saturday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital.
He explained that the earlier the act was expunged from the constitution the better for the Niger Delta people and the people in whose  land oil and gas were deposited by God.
The activist  who noted that he was a founding member of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and an ardent follower of the  Late Ken Saro-Wiwa, said inspite of the billions of dollars accruing to the nation’s economy through oil, the people of the oil communities have nothing to show for it.
He called on members of the National  Assembly to review  the laws governing oil sector in line with what obtains in the countries that also produce oil as a way of treating the people of the region fairly.
According to him, the Federal Government and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) capitalise on the laws especially the Land Use Act to deny the people their fair share from the proceeds for oil and gas.
“Land Use Act is a demon. People are trained by the IOCs to divide us. We have contributed so much but got so little,” he said, noting that only a holistic approach can bring about the much desired fairness and peaceful development of the region.
Waribo maintained that the big obstacle remained  the Land Use Act remarking that since it was unlawful to circumvent the act, the way forward require review of the law.
He maintained that challenges in the Niger Delta region would be properly addressed if the lawmakers saw it as their challenge and boldly abrogated  the Land Use Decree which he described as a creation of the military, and toe the lines of other oil producing countries where  host communities got equitable share of their resources.

Chris Oluoh