Share Former Bayelsa State governor and senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson is a member of the Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC). He speaks on the controversial amendment of clause 52(3) in the passed Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021, provision of three percent funding for Host Communities Trust Fund, as proposed in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and other issues. TAIWO AMODU brings the excerpts:
Can you give us your general appraisal of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and the Electoral Act Amendment Bill passed by the Senate before it proceeded on recess? The late President Umaru Yar’Adua sent the first PIB to the National Assembly. The PIB work started from Obasanjo’s time; that was when the idea was muted and during Yar’Adua, the late Dr Rilwanu Lukman, was petroleum minister when this bill came. This bill proposed 10 percent for host communities and also proposed 10 percent for frontier development but unfortunately, it could not be passed. We are happy; the people are happy that the National Assembly has been able to break that jinx or whatever looks like it, I mean the PIB but we must get it right. As you know I disagree completely and most of us disagreed with the three percent equity for the host communities that was eventually passed. Of course, you know the history, the Senate passed three percent equity and the House five percent and they went for a conference which came up with three percent.