PIB Bill: Amend Section 242, 247, 251, 252 – PWDs Urge NASS

..Demand 5% Of Projects, Activities In Host Community Development Trust Fund

By Matthew Ogune, Abuja
Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) has urged the National Assembly to immediately amend sections 242, 247, 251 and 252 of the Legal, Governance, Regulatory and Fiscal Framework for the Nigeria Petroleum Industry, the Development of Host Community and other Related Matters (HB.1061) – AKA PIB Bill.

Executive Director of CCD, David O Anyaele who made this demand yesterday in Abuja urged the house to add (h) to read as follows: “ensure that all initiatives are inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities.”

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His words: “CCD proposes the amendment of the following sections in the Bill to read as follows:

242: (a) Settlor shall ensure that members of the Board of Trustees are inclusive of women and persons with disabilities

247. (a.i.b) three representatives, women, person with disability inclusive of the Host Community, who shall be nominated by the Host Community as non-executive members.

251. 3(a.i.b) consulted with and considered the reasonable concerns of women, youths, persons with disabilities and Community leaders.

252. We request that you add (h) to read as follows: ensure that all initiatives are inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities.” he said.

According to Anyaele, CCD believes that PIB provides an uncommon opportunity to write the wrongs against persons with disabilities in the Niger Delta, adding that observation shows that oil and gas explorations in Nigeria are conducted at the detriment of persons with disabilities.

The director noted that the body was concern that virtually all the support given to host communities by reason of oil and gas explorations are not accessible to persons with disabilities and they are not consulted, neither are their issues mainstreamed in the conversation.

He continued: “We are worried that when pollution occurs in the Niger Delta, it is people with disabilities that suffers most ”

“Painfully, the activities and contaminants being pushed into the environment as a result of oil and gas explorations in the Niger Delta region, sometime leads to still birth and birth with different from of disability.”

“Therefore, It is justice for all to demand that the bill provide a certain percentage of not less than 5 percent of projects and activities to be set aside for the benefit of persons with disabilities in the Host Community Development Trust Fund.”

“We thank the leadership of the House of Representatives, in particular the Chairman House Ad-hoc Committee on Petroleum Industry Bill for the opportunity to present our position on the PIB Bill.”