The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Abubakar Momoh, has been instructed by the House of Representatives Public Petition Committee to make sure that the oil-producing Edo South Senatorial District of Edo State gets its fair share of project funding and appointments in upcoming budgets. The objective of this decision is to prevent a recurrence of the purported hardship experienced by the region in the 2024 budget and to fairly pay the communities that produce oil and gas for the benefits they were not granted as host towns. The Benin National Congress (BNC) petitioned the House about the Niger Delta Affairs Minister’s alleged “unwarranted marginalization and exploitation of the Oil and Gas producing communities of Edo State,” specifically in relation to project allocation in the 2024 budget. This led to the directive.
The BNC’s concerns are acknowledged in the Public Petition Committee report, which was released in Benin City. It also highlights the need to refrain from repeating the Minister’s apparent prejudice. In the 2024 budget, the report suggests making sure that the region receives sufficient recompense for the hardships it has endured. Amb. Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo, President of the BNC, believes the committee’s recommendation is insufficient. He stresses that action must be taken indefinitely until the communities that produce oil in Benin receive all benefits related to oil production, including appointments.
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https://sunnewsonline.com/house-orders-equal-treatment-for-edo-south-oil-producing-communities/
