By Austin Oyibode
ABUJA/Nigeria: The National Chairman of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSCON), Prince Dr. Michael Emuh, has hailed the Federal Government for releasing the first tranche of the 3% Host Community Fund, describing it as a “historic step” towards justice for Nigeria’s oil-producing communities.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Emuh praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for demonstrating courage and commitment to implementing the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). He also singled out Senator Ned Nwoko, Chairman of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft, for his consistent engagement on host community issues and championing equitable resource allocation.
“The President’s courage in honoring the law deserves national commendation,” Emuh stated, urging Nigerians to engage constructively with the current administration.
He further commended Dr. Michael Nwoko, Chief of Staff to Senator Nwoko, and Mr. Ally Isah, SSA on Oil and Gas Matters, for their timely intervention that helped secure the Senator’s swift response to host community demands, especially the contentious 13% derivation issue.
However, while appreciating the progress, Emuh pressed for deeper structural reforms. He called on the National Assembly to urgently amend the constitution to ensure the 13% derivation fund is paid directly to host communities rather than state governments. “This is not an attack on governors,” he clarified, “but a push for structural justice and financial transparency.”
He also decried the continued withholding of billions in foreign NGO grants lying dormant at the Central Bank for over five years and urged the President to approve immediate disbursement.
Emuh demanded the release of more than $6 billion in gas flare levies owed by oil companies, asserting that the funds would transform lives, empower women and youth, and foster peace through local institutions.
Criticizing the exclusion of host communities from key regulatory bodies such as the NNPC, NUPRC, and NMDPRA, Emuh declared, “We are the true hosts of Nigeria’s oil wealth. Our voices must be heard in places where decisions are made.”
Drawing from personal experience, he narrated a 14-hour ordeal on the Warri–Benin–Auchi–Abuja highway and called for a state of emergency on key oil-producing transport corridors.
He expressed dismay that over 10,000 trained youths from the Niger Delta remain idle while national oil infrastructure is vulnerable. He urged the government to prioritize host community youths in pipeline surveillance contracts to forestall renewed unrest.
Dr. Emuh also called for prompt payment of all debts owed to host communities, including derivation arrears and environmental fines, as a pathway to true grassroots development.
He applauded the National Assembly, especially Senators Ned Nwoko and Benson Agadaga, for their active roles in tackling oil theft and environmental degradation, and praised the unity shown by leaders from both northern and southern oil-bearing states.
“We salute leaders from Nasarawa, Gombe, Bauchi, and Kogi for standing in solidarity with the South. This is the kind of unity Nigeria needs,” he noted.
Commending Tantita Security Services and Ocean Marine Solutions (OMS) for their surveillance work, Emuh advised them to deepen grassroots collaboration.
He urged the Federal Government to engage peaceful voices and avoid policies that reward violence, declaring, “We are ready to build. We are ready to secure. We are ready to serve. All we ask is: involve us now.”
Reaffirming his loyalty to President Tinubu’s administration, Emuh called for national collaboration to end poverty, insecurity, and underdevelopment in oil-producing regions.
