A fight broke out at the public hearing of the Petroleum Industry Bill organized by the House of Representatives as members of the host communities engaged in physical combat.
The fight started when the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas was called to the podium to make a presentation.
Some other bodies of host communities, however, stood up, this led to a rowdy session.
The situation got out of hand when members of the opposing sides began to exchange blows, forcing the lawmakers to seek the intervention of the security forces.
The leaders of the oil-rich areas under the aegis of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas on Tuesday, had openly rejected the 2.5 per cent proposed to them in the Petroleum Industry Bill 2020, which is under consideration by the joint Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources, (Downstream, Upstream and Gas).
The leaders have insisted that nothing short of the 10 percent of the operating expenditure on their demand would be accepted to them because the proposed 2.5 percent was grossly inadequate to provide basic amenities and improve the standard of living of their people.
However, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has faulted the position of the host communities, for insisting on collecting 10 per cent of the operating expenditure of the oil firms to set up a trust fund.
