Drama occurred at the public hearing organised by the House of Representatives on the Petroleum Industry Bill on Thursday as members of the host communities exchanged blows over the right of recognition.
The fight occurred when Mohammed Monguno, Chairman of the ad-hoc Committee on PIB, called on the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas to make its presentation.
However, some other bodies representing the host communities demanded to be recognised and in the course of their agitation, a fight broke out.
The situation led to a rowdy session, which forced the lawmakers to scamper to safety while seeking the intervention of security operatives.
The leaders of the oil-rich areas under the aegis of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas had on Tuesday, rejected the 2.5 per cent proposed for them in the Petroleum Industry Bill 2020, being considered by the joint Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources, (Downstream, Upstream and Gas).
They insisted on the 10 per cent being demanded and recommended that the Federal Government scraps the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in order to reduce the spending cost on the region and allow the communities get their desired percentage of the funds.
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