Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Governors of the South South geopolitical zone under the auspices of BRACED Governors’ Council, have called for the relocation of NNPC subsidiaries and headquarters of oil multinationals to the Niger Delta.
The governors during a meeting in Port Harcourt also throw supports the decision for states to collect Value Added Tax and resolved to join the suit before the Supreme Court.
Chairman of Council and Governor of Delta state, Ifeanyi Okowa, urged the National Assembly to clearly defined a host community, following the amendment of the Petroleum Industry Act and that the trustees should be appointed by State Governments
“Council urged the President and the National Assembly to take necessary measures to review some unfair aspects of the recently signed Petroleum Industry Bill to ensure fairness and equity.
“It urged that the amendment should include a clear definition of host communities and that the trustees should be appointed by State Governments.
“Council called upon the President and the Federal Government to uphold the law establishing the Niger Delta Development Commission by appropriately constituting its Board.
“In addition, it expressed the hope that the Federal Government would make the forensic audit report public and deal justly and fairly with the report with a view to strengthening the capacity of the NDDC to meet its obligations to the people of the region.
“Council regretted that the President and the Federal Government had generally failed to give reasoned consideration to requests made by the region during the dialogue with a special Federal delegation led by Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Chief of Staff to the President.
“Notable among the requests were the relocation of NNPC subsidiaries and IOCs headquarters to the Niger Delta and the completion of a number of Federal projects in the region, notably, roads.”
Governors who attended the meeting are Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State,
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom State and Governor Godwi Obaseki of Edo State.
