Include women in PIA host communities Fund implementation—Omo-Agege

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, All Progressives Congress, APC, Delta Central has made a case for the women, calling  for their inclusion  as beneficiaries of the Host Communities Fund component of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA.  According to Omo-Agege, the inclusion of women in the application of the Petroleum Industry Act’s three percent Host Communities Fund would be a sure path to development. Speaking in Abuja  when he hosted a delegation of Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Group, the deputy President of the Senate advised that the advocacy be extended to the Executive arm of government since it is the final authority in implementing the Act.

Omo- Agege who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Otive Igbuzor, said, “I am gender sensitive. I support the inclusion of women in the development process. So you can be assured of our support in terms of your demand for women inclusion in the relevant structures of the Petroleum Industry Act. “But you also need to continue the advocacy, especially the Executive arm of government because they are the ones that will make the final appointment. And they are also responsible for implementation of those areas. But you can rest assured of our commitment to continue to push for women inclusion in development and justice for women.” Earlier in her remarks, leader of the delegation, Mrs Glory Bassey who  called for the inclusion of women in application of the three percent Host Communities Fund of the Petroleum Industry Act, explained that the  group was founded in 2005 with a mission to promote transparency and accountability for consolidation of Nigeria’s democracy.

Bassey who urged the Senator  to lend his voice for the inclusion of women in the application of the Petroleum Industry Act’s 3percent Host Communities Fund, however lamented that gender inequality is one of the oldest and most pervasive forms of inequality, adding that about 153 countries have laws that promote gender discrimination. She said: “In tackling the problem and advocating for women’s economic inclusion in the Niger Delta with the Petroleum Industry Act as enabler, our organisation is embarking on a 30% campaign that focuses on ensuring female participation in extractive – resource – governance, making sure women participate strategically in local governing structures and extractive industry boards, community development committees, governing organs of petroleum companies, governmental entities, and communities’ trust funds, where decisions on resource allocations and management are to be made in consultations with other gatekeepers in the oil and and gas host communities in line with the Petroleum Industry Act.”