By Abubakar Jimoh
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has commended the giant legislative stride by Upper Chamber of the National Assembly that resulted in recent passage of the long awaited Petroleum Industry and Governance Bill (PIGB), after over twelve years in different legislative sessions of the Assembly.
The Centre made this known in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani).
The statement said passage of the PIGB formed a major campaign promise of the present administration to be delivered; the commitment which was reiterated in the Federal Government’s Short and Medium Term Priorities to grow Nigeria’s Oil & Gas Industry 2015–2019, fancifully labelled the “7 Big Wins” with a time lapse at the first quarter of 2017.
“We note that the Bill as passed reflected many of the proposals put forward by civil society, including CISLAC and her partners during the Public Hearing session held on the Bill, especially the unbundling of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to separate her commercial role from her regulatory functions, among others.
“It would be recalled that CISLAC had reservations about the splitting of the Bill initially because of the possibility that the other components may never be attended to and uses the this opportunity to remind the National Assembly that the Bill has left out fiscal issues which remain the most important aspect of the old PIB,” it noted.
It however, urged Senate to immediately commence work on the outstanding parts on which the passed Bill is silent as it had promised, as it is the only way to demonstrate trustworthiness and sustain confidence of Nigerian people.
The statement also called on the House of Representatives to as a matter of urgency, consider the Bill or adopt the Senate version to conclude the legislative process for onwards assent by the President.
“We call on the President to promptly assent to the Bills, whenever they are transmitted to him, after legislative process, as we believe the Bill if implemented will provide appropriate legal and regulatory framework in the oil and gas sector, it added.
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