PIB Bill: Ukori advises National Assembly to adopt CNL model

By Ovasa Ogaga,

The Executive chairman of Egbema and Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation, EGCDF, Comrade Jude Ebitimi Ukori has advised the Senate Committee on Petroleum Host and Impacted Communities Development Bill to adopt the Chevron Nigeria Limited GMoU governance model in their draft in order to carry along the settlor, community and government in the running of the affairs of the Petroleum Host and Impacted Communities Trust Fund.

Ukori who made this known during the public hearing of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Host and Impacted Communities Development Bill at the National Assembly, appealed to the committee to include in the draft, provision of 5% of crude oil and gas production of settlor equivalent in cash or 5% of gross revenue of settlor for the accounting period of the preceding year to fund the Petroleum Host and Impacted Communities Trust and allocate 10% equivalent from the endowment fund for general administration of the Trust Fund.

He added that the committee should also include in the draft the appointment/selection of Board of Trustees members, executives as well as management committee members/executive should be an exclusive right of the communities/traditional institutions to be exercised in consultation with settlor in drawing up processes and criteria for selection.

He frowned at the current content of the Petroleum Host and Impacted Communities Development Bill which proposed its funding through an annual contribution of an amount equal 2.5% of the actual operating expenditure, lack of participatory approach between settlor and host/impacted communities, the decision for settlor to select non-indigenes as executive members of the management committee and lack of inclusion of administrative costs.

Ukori advised the Senate Committee on Petroleum Host and Impacted Communities Development Bill to include in the bill, interface function between settlor and Host/Impacted Communities to promote peace and mutual benefit among them.