Host communities in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 30, have urged oil companies to consistently engage community leaders, stakeholders and members of Boards of Trustees in implementing the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to avoid conflicts of interest and ensure sustainable development.
The call was made by the Uherevie Host Communities Development Trust (UHCDT) during a one-day capacity development training held on Thursday at Wetland Hotel in Ughelli, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.
Speaking during the programme, Chairman of the Uherevie Host Communities Development Trust, Comrade Pender Agwarive, who was represented at the event by Mr. Joseph Ibudje, said the training was designed to deepen understanding of the PIA and strengthen governance within host communities.
“This training programme is aimed at equipping communities and their leadership with the processes of the PIA, which is relatively new, particularly on how projects are to be executed in the communities,” Agwarive said.
According to him, a major takeaway from the programme is the need for all layers of the Trust structure to clearly understand their roles and limitations under the PIA. “The take-home of this training is for the various strata of the Board, BoT, Management Committees and Advisory Committees to know their various limits and procedures in the PIA Act,” he said.
Agwarive added that the programme was also meant to enlighten communities on the opportunities embedded in the PIA, stressing the need for strict compliance by all organs of the Trust. He noted that while the PIA does not formally recognise community presidents-general, they remain critical leaders at the grassroots.
“The programme is to acquaint the communities with the prospects of the PIA and there should be strict compliance by the AC, MC and the BoT, and the recognition of the Community leaders despite the fact that the PIA Act did not recognise them,” he said.
In separate presentations, Prof. Omotor Douglason and Dr. Francis Onojeta underscored the importance of sound governance and accountability in implementing the PIA. “Effective implementation of the PIA and its regulations requires not only legal compliance but a deep understanding of institutional governance, accountability mechanisms and operational efficiency,” they said.
They noted that despite the PIA’s limited recognition of community leaders, oil companies must continue to engage them because of their influence at the grassroots. “Despite the fact that the PIA did not recognise community leaders, oil companies should always engage and identify with them because of their influence,” the lecturers said.
They also stressed that host communities must understand that projects must be duly approved before execution, noting that “development occurs through trust.”
The lecturers cautioned political office holders against using PIA-funded projects for political campaigns, warning that such actions could mislead communities. “They cautioned political office holders not to use PIA projects to campaign or mislead the community into thinking that they influence such projects, because they are just stakeholders and contributors like others,” they said.
On his part, the Training Program Committee Chairman, Chief Andrew Udjemu, described the training as an eye-opener for host communities, saying it would enable them to effectively utilise the three per cent Host Communities Development Fund provided under the PIA. “With this training, we have been able to bring together the 89 presidents-general of the communities, 89 Management Committee members and Board members, which I am part of,” Udjemu said.
He added that the focus on accountability and transparency was critical to preventing crises in host communities. “The coming together to be lectured on accountability and transparency is one of the primary reasons because where there is none of the above, crisis will always erupt,” he said.
Udjemu further noted that proper implementation of the PIA would help address youth restiveness in host communities. “The provisions of the PIA Act will quell youth restiveness in our communities because in the Act, whatever should be given to the communities to avoid crisis is embedded, as the government recognises the importance of the communities,” he said.
