Bayelsa gov seeks amendment to PIA

Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri, has advocated for an amendment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in order to address the flaws in the legislation.

 Governor Diri also said the review would go a long way in tackling the ongoing crisis between oil companies and their host communities.

 Speaking on Tuesday when the new Commander of the Joint Military Task Force, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), Rear Admiral Eugenio Ferreira, and other officers paid him a courtesy visit in Government House in Yenagoa, Diri described the act as a time bomb.

 He emphasised that since the country operates a federal system of government, it was an aberration for the federal government to deal directly with oil producing communities while excluding the states and local governments.

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Bayelsa gov seeks amendment to PIA

 He added that the oil producing states and the local governments were now being called upon to intervene in resolving issues between the oil companies and their host communities.

 Earlier, the new OPDS Commander, Rear Admiral Ferreira, said he was posted to the command in May this year, adding that the OPDS was established with a mandate to protect oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta and ensure a stable and peaceful environment for all.