WAR DRUM OVER PIB COMING

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Stormy sessions may hallmark the consideration of the Petroleum Industry Bill in the House of Representatives as lawmakers are sharply divided along ethnic lines over its provisions.
While Reps from the South support the bill, their Northern counterparts say they will oppose it on the grounds that it is not in the interest of their people.
A Rep from the South-South, Mr. Mike Umoh, said he expected that there would be an opposition to the bill from his northern colleagues. “The problem we may face coming largely from the North is lack of understanding of the PIB,” Umoh said. “At the moment, the Nigerian economy is more or less on auto pilot and we seriously need to unbundle the oil sector.
“That is the aim of the PIB. When this is done, we will be able to create more jobs and bring in more investors. The North may not like the component of the bill that has to do with host communities, precisely Section 6, but it is a question of finding out what is in the bill and what we think should be included be or removed from it. As far as I’m concerned, the bill won’t be thrown out.”
But one of his colleagues from the North, Mr. Jerry Manwe, vehemently opposes the bill on the grounds that it will “disenfranchise” his people and leave them with “little or nothing.”
Manwe pointed out that the PIB gave “awesome powers” to the Minister of Petroleum to “do whatever he likes in the oil industry.”
“I’ll never be part of a bill that will make the Minister of Petroleum Resources very powerful, even more powerful that Mr. President,” Manwe said. “It gives awesome powers to the minister to do whatever he likes. Besides, there is so much to be sorted out because I can see that the PIB will disenfranchise my people.
“For now, let me say that we shall discuss this bill thoroughly and ensure that all sections of the country are carried along before it can be passed by the House.”
A lawmaker from the South-West, Mr. James Faleke, said he was sure that the bill would be passed but not the entire content as presented by the Executive.
But some senators told PUNCH’s REPORTERs that they were still studying the bill.
Senator Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom) said, “We’re still looking at it. It will be pre-empting the public hearing where all the interest groups will appear to make their presentations especially the host communities. We will need to wait until the second reading.”
Also, his counterpart from Jigawa State, Danladi Sankara, said that it was too early to take a position on the PIB. “We need to properly study the document before coming to a reasonable conclusion,” he said.
“You know this is an executive bill; the executive has made a proposal, we as the legislature irrespective of whether we are from the North or the South will have to sit down and look at it to come out with a document which will be fair and just to all Nigerians.”
On his part, Senator Thomson Sekibo (Rivers East), said that it was premature to comment on the PIB. “We’ve just received copies of the report and we’re studying it; it is when it comes for second reading that we will make our input.”
The chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, had said that the region was studying the document. He announced plans by the forum to approach members of the national and state houses of assembly to take on some areas of the bill likely to be contentious.
However, the National Secretary of the Ijaw National Congress, Mr. Robinson Esite, said the National Assembly should ensure the protection of the national interest in deliberating on the bill.
Esite said the PIB was neither community-specific nor regional, as “it is a national bill designed to take care of national interest.” He added that the bill would take care of the interest of any community outside the Niger Delta where oil was found.
Similarly, a Delta State-based lawyer, Dr. Akpo Mudiaga-Odje, called on the federal lawmakers to examine the PIB holistically in the interest of the country by expunging aspects inimical to the wellbeing of the oil-producing communities, who bear the brunt of oil production.
He called on the members of the NASS to take a critical look at Section 274 of the PIB, which, according to him, had taken away the provisions made for the oil- producing communities.
He said the PIB was the “first piece of legislation from the Nigerian state that specifically directs payment to all communities, stressing that the issues raised about the 13 per cent derivation, the NDDC, the Ministry of Niger Delta were unnecessary as they directed payment to states.”


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