Oil-bearing communities in Bayelsa have bemoaned prolonged delays in implementing the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) host community fund component.

Representatives of the communities expressed dismay that since the PIA came into effect in 2021, no meaningful development projects had been carried out due to bureaucracy in setting up a governance template for the funds.

The Bayelsa oil communities expressed their position in a statement issued on Sunday in Yenagoa.

It was jointly signed by Francis Amamogiran, Chairman of the Dodo River Rural Development Association; Christopher Tuduo, the youth leader; and Theophilus Moses, a community leader.

They noted that their peaceful disposition had ensured uninterrupted oil and gas exploration and production amidst the delays and warned against taking their stance for granted.

The statement urged the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to expedite its regulatory efforts to ensure full compliance by all oil companies with the three per cent operational expenses obligation.

The communities noted that, given the opaque nature of the oil industry, the regulatory powers of a regulator were required and urged NUPRC to be a catalyst and not a cog in the wheel of progress.

They stated that the oil communities would be constrained to disrupt oil production across the state if the relevant agencies continued actions that could reduce the three per cent host communities fund or create bottlenecks under the PIA.

The communities expressed their readiness to take decisive action and escalate their efforts to address the concerns of the oil and gas communities.

They explained that their proactive engagement in pacifying the youths across various communities since the signing of the Petroleum PIA had yielded the desired results.

They stated that the stability of oil operations could be compromised if the situation deteriorates further.

They warned that improper handling of host communities’ issues could negatively affect Nigeria’s oil production and economy.

According to them, host communities are often excluded from the decision-making process, which results in using public resources to defend decisions in the media.

They noted that NUPRC’s regulatory oversight function was essential and that over-involvement in the activities of host communities was counterproductive and financially burdensome.

(NAN)