http://www..sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2009/dec/03/national-03-12-2009-12.htm

From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

Niger Delta communities and civil society groups are mobilizing against the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) by the National Assembly.

The communities and the civil society groups described the Bill as presently proposed as anti-Niger Delta people.
This was the decision reached after a two-day consultative meeting organized by Social Action, Stakeholders Democracy Network (SDN) and Bayelsa Non-Governmental Forum (BANGOF), in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State..

It, therefore, called for a temporary suspension of the Bill until the Niger Delta people were able to make necessary input.
The consultative meeting which had in attendance Niger Delta activists, traditional rulers also had human rights lawyer, Mr Bamidele Aturu, Mr. Esueme Dan Kikile, and Dr. Sofri Joab- Peterside presenting papers.
The forum at the end of the meeting issued an 11-point communiqué regretting that Niger Delta communities were excluded from making input into the Bill.

The communiqué signed by representatives of the communities and civil groups lamented that the PIB is not reader friendly as it is too bulky..

The communiqué read in part: “Given the fact that there has not been adequate consultations with the communities and the civil society, the Forum proposes that all further actions geared towards passing the PIB be put on hold for at least three months until communities and the civil society have made necessary consultations and contributions to the bill. The role of civil society organisations and communities should incorporated in environmental remediation in the Niger Delta.”

It reads further: “Section 1 of the proposed bill be deleted and replaced with the following: Property and sovereign ownership of petroleum within Nigeria, its territorial waters, the continental shelf, the exclusive economic zone and extended continental shelf shall vest in the oil producing communities.”