PIGB suffers setback as Reps defer consideration

…We deferred it to consolidate related Bills — Ogor

By Emman Ovuakporie

ABUJA—THE Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, PIGB, passed recently by the Senate yesterday suffered a major setback on the floor of the House of Representatives as members at plenary unanimously agreed to defer the consideration of the three related bills till next Tuesday.

This development was sequel to the observation made by Femi Gbajabiamila, Majority Leader, who urged the House to defer the consideration till next Tuesday, considering the importance of the bills.

The majority leader had insisted that there was need for members to digest the contents of the legislative frameworks, as recognised by the presiding officer and speaker, Yakubu Dogara, sequel to the absence of Pally Iriase, sponsor of the bill co-sponsored by 14 other lawmakers.

The two bills members stepped down include: ‘’A bill for an Act for legislative framework relating to petroleum producing host community’s participation, cost and benefit sharing among government, petroleum exploration companies and petroleum host communities and matter’s connected thereto’’, promoted by Victor Nwokolo, Joseph Akinlaja and Agbedi Frederick.

The other is the ‘’Bill and memorandum on legal and regulatory framework, institutions and regulatory authorities for the operations of the upstream and downstream sectors, and to provide for the establishment of the legal and regulatory framework and authorities as well as guidelines for the operations of the upstream and downstream sectors of the petroleum industry and for other connected purposes” sponsored by Daniel Reyenieju and 17 others.’

However, a bill for an Act to provide for Governance and Institutional Framework for the Petroleum Industry and to establish a fiscal framework that encourages further investment in the petroleum industry whilst increasing accruable revenues to the Federal Government and for other related matters, and a bill for an Act to provide for the governance and institutional framework for the Petroleum Industry and for other related matters transmitted by the Senate were consolidated.

Minority Leader of the House, Leo Ogor (PDP, Delta) told Vanguard: “There’s no cause for alarm. At the end of the day, we shall consolidate all the bills and put them in the right perspective for a better governance of the oil industry.

“The one passed by the Senate will be treated on its merit and we’ll go ahead and treat those bills relating to the same PIB and give them the attention they deserve.’’

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