For asking President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to discard the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has drawn flaks from the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, ERA/FoEN. The group the move would eencourage oil multinationals to continue their impunityy, which has polluted the Niger Delta and depleted the country’s revenues.

In a report on Bloomberg, which was confirmed by Kayode Fayemi, its Policy Director, the APC had recommended that the President discards the PIB and replace it with a new reform bill that is based on discussions with international oil companies to ensure all perspectives are adequately considered. The ERA/FoEN maintained that the call was “very disturbing” going by the support the PIB has gained in the last four years from civil society groups and Niger Delta communities that have suffered degradation and neglect.

While commending the APC for their positive recommendations which included a review of audits and corruption allegations against the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, ERA/FoEN said that discarding the PIB signifies government’s lack of political will to hold oil multinationals accountable for their human rights violations, environmental degradation and the application of the polluter pays principle.

Godwin Ojo, the group’s executive director, said, “The APC government should not set a bad precedent by disappointing the expectations of the Niger Delta people who remain shell-shocked by the rigmarole of the immediate past administration of Goodluck Jonathan in pushing a strong legislation through. That government also failed to implement the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, aassessment on Ogoniland”.

The ERA/FoEN director noted that it i