Yenagoa—A group, the Ijaw People’s Development Initiative (IPDI), had issued a 4-day ultimatum to the minister of state for petroleum resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, to respond to allegations made against him by Sen. Seriake Dickson, Brigamedia.com.ng reports.
According to the group, the ultimatum is premised on allegations by Dickson that the minister proposed a 2.5% operating surplus to host communities as against President Muhammadu Buhari’s 5% when he addressed the National Assembly over the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
The group described the 3% allocation to the Host Communities Trust Fund as an injustice to the Niger Delta, saying President Buhari should not push the people to the wall.
While demanding an immediate response to the allegations from the minister, the group stated that failure to do so would amount to them passing a vote of no confidence on him.
Leader of the group, Austin Ozobo, stated that despite their differences, Sylva should defend Dickson’s grave allegation of misleading the senate with a contrary recommendation despite 5% earlier recommended by the Senate.
He added that silence sometimes means consent, stressing that the PIB is crucial for the development of the region.
He noted that Sylva should tell the region his roles regarding the 3% equity shares in the bill.
“We want him to speak, whether Dickson is lying, or not. The issue of the PIB bill is beyond two of them being on a warpath for some time.
“We are interested in knowing what he (Sylva) told the Senate when he appeared before them. It is not a matter of joke.
“Niger Delta is already boiling over the 3% PIB equity shares, he should speak to save the planned attacks on oil facilities,” Ozobo stated.
But foremost rights activist, Morris Alagoa, in a Facebook post, described the ultimatum issued to Sylva as “shadow-chasing.”
According to him, the state governments and present federal and state lawmakers from the Niger Delta region since the introduction of the bill in 2008 should be blamed for the low percentage of equity given to host communities.
He lamented that those who represent the region at the center have failed the region.
In his words: “The Niger Delta Governments failed to make official appearances at any of the public hearings, while some Northern State Governments sent top public office holders as state representatives to public hearings.
“Niger Delta state governments seemed comfortable with 13% monthly accrual and hence didn’t bother.”
Alagoa averred that issuing ultimatums and threats is not the right thing to do in the present situation, saying that it will only bring about trouble in the region.
“As far as the 3% approved for host communities is grossly inadequate and unacceptable, resorting to issuing threats all the time is old-fashioned and not good for the region.
“We have not seen other regions embarking on such missions aimed at dragging their own down.”
He further stressed that leaders from the oil-producing communities also did little in the area of advocacy to press home their demands before now.
