From Segun Amure, (The New Diplomat’s Abuja Bureau)
Members of oil producing communities engaged in fisticuffs on Thursday at the ongoing Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) public hearing at House of Representatives.
The fight began around 12:10 pm when the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on PIB, Hon. Mohammed Monguno invited the representatives of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas to make their presentation.
At the meeting held at Room 028 of the Assembly complex, the clash started as another group claiming to be representatives of the host communities from the Niger Delta aimed at the podium leading to physical altercation between the two groups.
Security men attached to the complex were quickly called in to calm the tension as lawmakers fled the scene.
It would be recalled that the leaders of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas had earlier rejected the 2.5% allocation from the oil companies proposed for oil producing areas in the PIB.
The group is asking the Committee on Petroleum Resources, (Downstream, Upstream and Gas) to jerk up the quota to 10%, a position that the federal government is at variance with.
Recall that The New Diplomat had on Wednesday, reported that the the Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila assured Nigerians that the House of Representatives will pass the PIB into Law in April.
In his words, “We tend to pass this bill by April. That is the commitment we have made. Some may consider it a tall order. But we will do it without compromising the thoroughness” Gbaja said.
PIB is an executive bill that seeks to introduce pertinent changes to the governance, administrative, regulatory and fiscal framework of the Nigerian oil and gas industry, in order to ensure transparency, strengthen the governing institutions and attract investment capital, among other objectives.
The PIB was first presented to the National Assembly in 2008. Years after its presentation, the Bill is yet to be enacted, and has led to increased uncertainty and hindering the flow of the desired investments to the Nigerian oil and gas sector.
