Qatar has a new Emir, Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani.
The chairperson of a Niger Delta based Non-Governmental Organisation, the Centre for peace and Conflict Resolution, Akasoba Duke-Abiola, has advised the Federal Government to take a cue from the corporate responsibility laws of Qatar which protects the social and economic rights of oil producing-communities in the Arab country.
Ms. Duke-Abiola asked the Nigerian government to initiate urgent steps to save the Niger Delta from further devastation.
The activist, who is also the Akasoba of Kalabari, gave this charge in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday to congratulate the people of Qatar on the ascension of Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani as the new Emir of Qatar.
The community activist, who noted that the Arab Nation which gained independence in 1971 has effective laws and policies on environmental protection and infrastructural development of host communities, which all multi-national companies operating in the area strictly enforce, said the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, currently before the National Assembly should be passed without further hesitation in the interest of the Nation.
While stating that the Niger Delta region has suffered neglect by successive governments since independence, the activist wondered how oil companies which declare billions of dollars in annual profit will consistently treat their host communities with disdain and without due regard for international best practices in the extractive industry.
She explained that the smooth transition of power in Qatar is directly linked to the social justice embedded in the system of administering its oil resources for the greater good of citizens as well as implementation of non-discriminatory state policies in all sectors.
Ms. Duke-Abiola recalled that in the year 2003, the Qatari government reformed the Sharia courts system and opened up the space for multi religious harmony in line with the desires of citizens and tourists to the Arab Nation.
While congratulating Hamad bin Khalifa and Sheikha Moza on the ascension of the new Qatari emir, the activist urged the new monarch to work assiduously towards building a greater Arab Nation which will measure up favourably with others in contemporary times.
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