The Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, has advised the National Assembly that the Petroleum Industry Bill, when finally passed, should be premised on the principles of equity and justice in order to promote peace and development in the country.
Governor Ahmed made the call on Monday at the North-Central Zonal Public Hearing of the PIB, organized by the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on the bill in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Ahmed explained that what has eluded Nigeria as a country was the absence of equity and justice.
He said: “If we have agreed that we want to live together as a nation where we have common values, that we all wish to hold dearly to our hearts, they must be clearly spelt out on equitable terms based on justice.”
He said the National Assembly should also ensure that interests of all stakeholders are captured in the Petroleum Industry Bill, with particular reference to the security and economic issues confronting the country.
Ahmed advanced the view that Nigerians must see problems confronting any part of the country as a national problem in order to build a virile nation.
He said: “We must see problems in any part of the country as national problems.
“If there is environmental degradation in the riverine areas where oil is being produced, every Nigerian must show concern because they deserve to have a good environment, they deserve to live like other Nigerians, they deserve good roads, clean water, hospitals and schools.”
He added that while oil producing areas must enjoy the benefits of being part of the oil producing communities, the revenue generated from oil must be used to develop other parts of Nigeria because the oil may not be the major revenue earner for the country in the future.
He recalled that agriculture was a major national revenue earner in the past before oil was discovered while coal mined in Enugu played critical role in driving the national railway system before oil was discovered.
Ahmed regretted that Nigeria’s oil wealth was not used to drive infrastructural development but the development of tastes for foreign goods.
He expressed the view that the PIB was expedient as it would provide additional control in the petroleum industry, particularly the accruing benefits to the oil producing communities.
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum and Gas, Hon. Bassey Ewa, in his remarks, said the forum was organized for all Nigerians to make inputs into the bill so the bill would reflect interest of all Nigerians.
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