Senate President Ahmad Lawan on Wednesday announced the Nigerian Senate would be proceeding on its annual recess until September, leaving the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to suffer further delay.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports President Muhammadu Buhari had declined assent to a component of the bill passed by the National Assembly (NASS) with a promise to submit a better version of the bill.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva had on July 14 announced that the PIB would be sent to the NASS in two weeks. He had said the bill would be signed into law by mid-2020.
However, until the Senate announced going on its annual recess till September, the Executive arm of the government failed to submit the bill to the NASS, which members have been expecting the new PIB for deliberations and debate to begin on the much-awaited piece of legislation.
Senate President Lawan during plenary on Wednesday reiterated the legislative commitment to work in harmony with the executive arm for the speedy passage and signing into law of the PIB.
He decried delay in the passage of the bill, stressing that more revenue will accrue into the coffers of the Federal Government when the bill is passed and signed into law.
He stated that as part of that commitment, relevant Committees on Petroleum and Gas had been mandated to engage the Executive arm of Government, particularly the NNPC and DPR, on the PIB to be submitted to the NASS.
He explained that such engagement between both arms of government would reduce the time needed to carry out legislative work on the bill when it is finally sent to the Legislature for consideration and passage.
“We want to work in harmony with the executive arm, but It takes both arms of Government to work together in a cordial and harmonious way. We are desirous of working together with the executive arm, and we expect that the Executive arm would be desirous of working with us.
“Therefore, it is important that whoever takes public office also understands that there has to be this type of engagement on behalf of the Nigerian public.
“As a part of this engagement, we have mandated relevant Committees on Petroleum (Upstream and Downstream); and Gas to engage the Executive arm of Government, particularly the NNPC and DPR, on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to be submitted to the National Assembly.
“Such engagement between both arms of government would reduce the time needed to carry out legislative work on the bill when it is finally sent to the Legislature for consideration and passage.
“It is our hope and desire that we are able to break the jinx that has visited the PIB since 2007. The PIB has defied passage and assent, this time around we want to work assiduously with the Executive arm of Government to ensure that we pass the PIB and that the President signs it into law, because we have everything to lose if not passed this year.
“If we are able to do it, we will get more revenue into the coffers of the Federal Government, as well as attract and retain investments into the oil and gas sector in Nigeria,” Senate President Lawan stated.