Civil Society Amplifies Community Voices on HCDT Fund
Katherine Abayomi
The low compliance of the 3% PIA statutory mandate to the host communities and evenly disbursement and implementation has raised alarming concerns in circles of interest.
This led to a town hall/Sensitization workshop organised by BudgIT Foundation with support from Oxfam, where the host community members were sensitised and awareness was created on the importance of the trust fund, ways of accessing it, and host community obligations.
Speaking at the workshop ,Coordinator Rivers State office Budgit Foundation Eze Eberechi stated the importance for oil producing communities in Rivers State to access these funds that its their right.
She further mentioned the gap noticed between community members and their knowledge about the trust fund and calls for more sensitization through the CSOs, media, and stakeholders .
“We are sensitizing them to go back to their various communities to step down the training.”
“Some host community share their experiences, we encouraged them to be able to integrate this host community development trust sensitization, those people that do not know the benefit incurred from Petroleum industrial act.”
“We go to communities and they now know better, they are no more helpless their voices are being heard through writing community letter, Freedom of Information (FOI) and the media. To achieve this collaboration is very important, the media, CSO”s, organisations, stakeholders so at the end we can have a societal behavioural change.” She retorted.
A critical stakeholder and Secretary of the Advisory Committee Odagwa Etche local government area, Ejiogu Augustine, mentioned that his community has received the allocated 3% fund, but they are in the budgeting stage. He called for an increase to that statutory 3% for proper utilisation and implementation of more developmental projects.
“Communities should be able to utilize the fund very well. The 3% if the production is high, it amount to substantial amount of money which the community should use for the development of the community such as the health care system, agriculture, sponsoring community people overseas and every other needs of the community.
“Am calling for the community to take ownership and do what they are supposed to do. The government and the IOC’s should do more 3% is not enough we are asking for an increments to ten (10%) percent or more. It will help the community because they are the ones bearing the brunt of oil spill, environmental degradation.
He calls for them to know their rights and thanked the organisers of the program for this enlightenment.
“My constant advocacy for people to know their right which will bring positive change to the communities”.
