Activist identifies development challenges in oil host community

Dr Otive Igbuzor, a developmental activist says various developmental challenges associated with oil production had affected the development of oil host communities in the country.

Igbuzor made this known at a Host Community Colloquium on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) in Owerri, on Tuesday.

He presented a paper on: ” The Host Communities Development Challenge: what’s broken that needs to be fixed”.

He identified some of the challenged to include political economy of oil resources, end result is underdevelopment, poverty, neglect of industry and agriculture, conflict and crisis.

Igbuzor also, the Chief of Staff to the Deputy President of the Senate  Ovie Omo-Ageg said that with the passage of PIB as a regulation, some of the challenges could be managed for better development.

He said that some of the impact of the challenges led to destruction of the environment, forest, aquatic life and pollution.

He said this affected the liveliness of the oil host communities and thereby triger all forms of crisis.

Igbuzor said the various forms of crises to include  governance crisis, elections, transactional politics, Fiscal federalism, transparency and accountability.

He said that to respond to the crises, there must be laws to control ownership, petroleum decree, among others.

Edited By: Grace Yussuf
Source: NAN