Barely two years after the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) has mobilised representatives of host communities from five epicentre states of oil and gas extractive activities in the region for a week-long capacity building on the implementation of the Act. It was held in collaboration with Ford Foundation.
Participants at the capacity-building workshop for non-governmental organisations, civil society, and community-based organisations drawn from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers and Ondo States are being exposed to the benefits of restructuring the management of the host communities and regulating the midstream and downstream operations, among others.
Flagging off the capacity building workshop holding in Warri, Delta State, the PIND Executive Director, Mr Tunji Idowu noted with delight the execution of the PIA since it was signed into law on 16th August 2021 in the efforts to establish good governance, best practices and ease of doing business in the oil and gas sector.
He said: “In restructuring the management of the host communities, Chapter 3 of the PIA mandates the creation of the Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) to improve the quality of life of the host communities’ population and improve accountability in the management of the HCDT fund”.
While calling for accountability from the various HCDT, Idowu, who was represented by the Advocacy Manager, Chuks Ofulue, said that one of the gains expected from the PIA “is sustainable community development, manifested by the requirement for Participatory Needs Assessment and Community Development Plans to deliver sustainable growth”.
According to him, “the project activities include creating awareness and deepening knowledge of the PIA’s technical components among community stakeholders”.
He further said that “capacity building of stakeholders will be a key element in ensuring the success and longevity of the Host Community Development Trust and, in particular, building the capacities of members of the HCBoT, HCMC, and the HCAC”.
Ofulue said: “It will enable members of the three components of the Trust to align their functions with the interests of the various community stakeholders.
“So, it is left for host communities to select people with integrity who will not divert their funds or use such for personal investments but for the benefit of the community. This is already ongoing between the oil companies and host communities as the accruing fund is now being put in the Host Communities Development Trust, to be managed by accredited representatives of the host communities themselves. So, the era of the oil companies short changing host communities is gone. This forum is preparing the host communities for the benefits of the PIA as the communities are getting the capacity, the skills to be able to manage the funds for their own development.
“This is the time for host communities to take their destinies in their own hands. Now that the funds is in their hands, the communities should keep monitoring eyes on their representatives in the Trust to ensure accountability”.
