From Ndubuisi Orji,, Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has ordered the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and Total Energies Nigeria Limited to set up separate Host Community Development Trust for Ikot Abasi, Ibeno and Mbo communities in Akwa Ibom State.
The Committee, in a statement by its head of media, Chooks Oko, said the directive followed a petition to the parliament requesting that Total and NUPRC be compelled to abide by the letters of a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) with local government areas in Akwa Ibom State.
According to the statement, Total Energies, had in August 2022, excluded the said communities from the Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) and has failed to respond to several pleas to add them back.
It added that the Chairman of the Committee, Mike Etaba, in his ruling on the petition, frowned at the way Total Energies and NUPRC treated the communities despite their resort to genuine means of redress and reconciliation.
Etaba noted that the 10th House of Representatives is the Peoples House and would always ensure that no Nigerian suffers unduly. Consequently, he directed Total Energies and NUPRC to immediately redress the situation and add the communities to the Host Communities Development Trust.
Counsel to the communities, Eyoh Asuquo, according to the statement, applauded the ruling, and applauded the speaker, Tajudeen Abbas and Etaba, for standing on the part of the people.
Asuquo was quoted to have said “Your decision on our petition is a testament that you are indeed the Representatives of the people who would uphold and protect Nigerians against the oppressive and obnoxious decisions of oil companies and regulators especially Total Energies”.