Petroleum Industry Bill Suffers Setback At NASS

The Petroleum Industry Governance Bill has suffered a setback at the National Assembly, just two months after it was passed.

During plenary on Wednesday, the the Senate referred the bill back to the Conference Committee on the Petroleum Industry and Governance to consider the “fundamental issues” raised by the Legal Department of the National Assembly, which recommended another legislative action.

Concise News gathered that the Majority Leader Senator Ahmad Lawan moved a motion for the referral of the PIGB and the Climate Change Bill to the respective committees for review.

“The Senate recalls that the Climate Change Bill, 2018 and Petroleum Industry and Governance Bill, 2018 were passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives, and transmitted to the Clerk to the National Assembly for onward transmission to the President for assent on the 5th and 10th of April, 2018, respectively,” Lawan said.

“The Senate notes that after critical examination of the bills, the Directorate of Legal Services of the National Assembly observed some fundamental issues, which require fresh legislative action.

“Relying on Order 1(b) of the Senate Standing Rule, the Senate accordingly resolves that the bills be referred to the respective Conference Committees (Conference Committee on the Climate Change and Conference Committee on the Petroleum Industry and Governance, respectively) that had earlier worked on them to consider the observations raised by the Directorate of Legal Services and report back to the Senate within one week.”

On his part, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, put the prayer to voice vote before it was unanimously granted.

Thereafter, he referred the bills to the committees, as he told them to report back in one week.