Featured, Politics
By Anthony Isibor.
PROFESSOR Anya O. Anya, former director-general of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, has said that even though the Petroleum Industrial Bill, PIB, has been passed by the National Assembly, there is still no equity.
Anya told Realnews in an exclusive interview in Lagos that the 3 percent derivation for host states approved by the Senate was not enough and did not show equity.
This, according to him, is because the South-South is completely devastated due to pollution caused by the mining companies operating in the region.
“Last year, I had to fly to Port Harcourt, and then I used that road to get to Warri because I had to go to the convocation of EK Clark’s University. Not only did I see the worst of the road in the route, but I have also seen the devastation by pollution of water resources available.
“I mean the South-South is devastated completely, and anybody who has sense and compassion will be making sure that their situation is ameliorated by using the resources that come from the soil of that region to improve on their condition.
“If that is your priority then you cannot give them anything less than 10 percent, you can’t. But they gave 3 percent. Even the 5 percent that the House of Representative gave, the Senate brought it to 3 percent and if you don’t take time, they might even remove it totally. So, there is no point pretending.”
This had generated a lot of grudges, especially from the petroleum-producing States who feel that they deserve more.
“But the good thing is what Abaribe has started. The more you bring out things that are hidden into the open, then the real discussions can now start. Like this is the first time I am revealing the allocations to the various zones in 2013.
According to him, God has his purpose for giving us this particular generation to be in charge of affairs “so that we will know that when we pray to God, we have to pray from the sin of we, the people that God is using because many things don’t make sense in Nigeria because of the kind of people that we have, the mindset.
“But it comes down to the issue of values, what are the things you are prepared to give your life for if you ask that question, or take a poll around the National Assembly, if you get up to 10 percent prepared to give their lives for Nigeria, it will be a fantastic situation.
“I will not be surprised if the statistics show that more than 95 percent of the members of the House do not care what happens to Nigeria. They care what happens to them. Because if they cared, none of them will sleep well with the kind of resources they give themselves either in terms of allowances or in terms of their pay in a society that has the kind of problems that we have. That is where it begins from,” he said.
-August 03, 2021, 13:07 GMT|
Tags: No equity with PIB as passed by National Assembly – Prof Anya
