September 12, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has commended the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, for providing a befitting edifice for the Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre (ADRC) in Yenagoa, the state capital.
Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr Gbenga Komolafe, gave the commendation during the inauguration of the ADRC’s Body of Neutrals on Tuesday.
Komolafe described Senator Diri’s gesture as rare. “I want to pay a glowing tribute to Governor Diri. He has done something wonderful and demonstrated a rare gesture. It is the first of its kind for the ADR centre, which is an indication of his desire to bring dispute resolution to his people. We promise to make effective utilisation of this infrastructure”, he said.
The NUPRC chief executive said the centre will guarantee access to quality, cost-effective and time-efficient resolution of disputes that arise in the upstream petroleum sector.
In her remarks, the NUPRC Secretary and Legal Adviser, Mrs Olayemi Anyanechi, said the Body of Neutrals was made up of retired judges and other eminent professionals, to bring justice, equity and fairness to host communities.
Governor Diri also expressed appreciation to the commission for siting the centre in Yenagoa, noting that the inauguration of the Body of Neutrals would enhance peace in Bayelsa and the Niger Delta region.
He restated his position that international oil companies in the region relocate their headquarters to states where they operate.
On the issue of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the governor again called for amendment of sections of the Act that excluded roles for the states and local governments.
The Bayelsa helmsman also described the provision of three percent of oil proceeds accruing to host communities as grossly inadequate and called for an upgrade to 10%.
Describing the PIA as “a time bomb with a lot of lacunas”, Diri stressed that it was an aberration to exclude state and local governments from the Act since host communities were being directly administered by them.
The governor, who said his administration had worked hard to enthrone peace and security in Bayelsa, however, attributed part of the problem of insecurity to the alienation of Niger Delta people from job opportunities in the oil and gas industry.
He, therefore, urged the NUPRC to absorb Bayelsans and people from the region to give them a sense of belonging.
“Let Bayelsans and people across the Niger Delta be employed in your commission. Part of the problem causing conflict is the alienation of our people from job opportunities in the oil and gas sector. There should be an inclusive process for our people to benefit from the resources in their land.”
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
