The federal government, in keeping with its efforts aimed at strengthening the gains of the just concluded amnesty process, yesterday inaugurated a presidential committee and four sub-committees for the Niger Delta.
The committees include the Presidential Committee on the modalities for the Involvement of host communities in the ownership of Petroleum Assets in Nigeria; Disarmament rehabilitation and re-integration sub-committee; Oil and gas asset protection sub-committee; environmental clean-up remediation sub-committee and Infrastructural development sub-committee.
Keeping the amnesty programme on track
Vice-president Goodluck Jonathan, while performing the inauguration shortly before the commencement of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa Abuja, yesterday stated that this step was taken to revive the federal government’s amnesty programme which has experienced a lull for some time now.
He also stated that President Umar Yar’Adua had personally approved the appointments into the various committees based on the capacity of the individuals and institutions.
The presidential committee on the modalities for the involvement of host communities in the ownership of petroleum assets in Nigeria has, as terms of reference, to examine the constitutional, institutional and legal framework for effecting host communities’ participation; to determine the definition of “host communities” for the purpose of benefiting from the proposal; to examine the level of, and mechanism by which, equity would be acquired by host communities including funding; to examine how equities assigned to the host communities will be managed; to examine the mechanism for securing host communities contribution for future investment and to make appropriate recommendations to Government.
The committee has one month from the date of its inauguration to submit its report to government.
While the Oil and Gas Asset Protection sub-committee has 14 members and will chaired by the Minister of State for Petroleum, the Infrastructural Development Sub-committee comprises 12 members and is headed by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. The Environmental Clean-up and remediation sub-committee is made up of 14 members and chaired by the Minister of Environment.