*Reps Committee Presents Five Reports, Promises Weekly Consideration of Public Petitions*

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, chaired by Hon. Kwamoti Bitrus La’ori, on Wednesday presented five (5) reports during plenary, reaffirming its commitment to expedite the consideration and presentation of petitions before the House.

Hon. La’ori, who had earlier presented several reports from his committee in the previous week, pledged that the Committee will henceforth consider and lay reports on petitions at least once every week while the House is in session.

Among the five reports presented was the petition by Hon. (Prof.) Paul Sunday Nnamchi, on behalf of members of the Gutenberg Print Professionals Association of Nigeria (GUPPAN), against certain groups allegedly working against the implementation of the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) Act, 2007.

Other reports laid include:

A petition against Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) by the Omole Phase II Community Development Association (CDA), Lagos, over poor, erratic, and inadequate power supply in the community.

A petition by Ayia, Ayia George & Co. on behalf of Habinda Nigeria Limited against the Benue State Government and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for alleged trespass and land grabbing at Adaka, along Makurdi–Naka Road.

A petition by Ogehenero Okoro & Co. against Seplat Energy Plc, alleging marginalisation and wrongful naming of oil wells located in Boboroku Community, Delta State, after Orogho Community in Edo State, and the misattribution of land ownership.

A petition by Mrs. Nwosu Cynthia Chinonyerem against the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) over alleged unlawful dismissal from service.

Since assuming office as Chairman on May 13, 2025, Hon. La’ori has significantly improved the Committee’s pace of work, ensuring a steady flow of reports to the House.

A performance review of the Committee’s activities shows that since its inauguration in June 2023, a total of 15 reports were laid before the House in February 2024, with 5 of them considered in May 2024. However, under Hon. La’ori’s leadership, 20 reports have been laid between May and October 2025, with 5 already considered — a clear indication of enhanced productivity and renewed commitment.

Hon. La’ori emphasized that the Committee remains dedicated to ensuring that all petitions are treated fairly, transparently, and without unnecessary delays, in line with the House’s commitment to justice and good governance.

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*Reps Direct NNPC to Pay ₦32bn to IDPs in Kwara, ExxonMobil to Compensate Akwa Ibom Host Communities ₦72bn*

The House of Representatives has directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to pay the sum of ₦32.15 billion as compensation to 5,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Ilorin, Kwara State, for losses suffered due to unlawful demolition, displacement, and land acquisition.

Chairman of the House Committee on Public Petitions, Hon. Kwamoti Bitrus La’ori, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the National Assembly on Thursday. He explained that the resolution of the 10th House reaffirms and adopts the earlier recommendation of the 8th Assembly on the matter.

According to the report presented by La’ori, the House approved a petition filed by Ajets Surveys on behalf of the affected residents against NNPCL concerning land acquisition, demolition, and forced eviction. The affected areas include Judges’ Quarters, F Division, Tanke Tipper Garage, Pipeline, Babaode, and Oshin in Ilorin.

The resolution directed NNPCL to effect the payment within 60 days.

In a related decision, the House also adopted the Committee’s report on a petition against Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (now Seplat Energy) and directed the company to pay ₦72.624 billion as compensation to victims in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State for environmental damage caused by oil spills linked to its operations.

The compensation, the House stated, should be paid in installments as mutually agreed by the affected parties.

The Committee’s findings were based on valuation assessments by Messrs Soni Udoma and Partners, Ebito and Company, and Uduak Jeremiah Consult, which confirmed multiple oil spills between 2003 and 2012.

Similarly, the House upheld the Committee’s recommendation on a petition by Award Winning Consult Limited on behalf of Mr. Asedere Othuke Edwin against British Oil and Gas Exploration Production Company over the alleged unlawful termination of employment. The company was ordered to pay ₦100 million as compensation and damages without further delay.

In another resolution, the House adopted the report on the petition by Tepng/Aks Main Community (MUO) on behalf of paramount rulers, youths, and women of Ikot Abasi, Ibeno, and Mbo Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State against TotalEnergies Nigeria Limited and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for their non-inclusion in the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) as mandated by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.

The House directed TotalEnergies and NUPRC to immediately include the affected communities as beneficiaries of the existing HCDT and to pay accrued compensation covering the period from 2022 to 2025, representing the years of exclusion.

The House also adopted the Committee’s recommendation on the petition by Mr. Dogo Isaac Imooje against the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for wrongful dismissal from service. It directed the NIS and the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board (CDFIPB) to pay all outstanding salaries, entitlements, and arrears owed to the petitioner from February 2013 to September 2018.

Speaking on the series of resolutions, Hon. La’ori reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to fairness, justice, and timely consideration of all petitions referred to it, stressing that the House remains a platform where the grievances of ordinary citizens can find redress.

> “The Committee will continue to uphold fairness, transparency, and accountability in addressing the concerns of Nigerians. Every citizen deserves justice, and this House remains committed to ensuring that justice is not delayed or denied,” he said.

La’ori commended the leadership of the 10th House of Representatives under Speaker Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen GCON for providing strong and people-centered legislative direction, describing it as “a true People’s Parliament” that gives voice to the marginalized and holds institutions accountable.

> “The 10th House has shown through its actions that it stands with the people — defending their rights, protecting their interests, and ensuring that justice prevails,” La’ori added.

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