The new draft of the controversial petroleum industry bill (PIB) strips the president of the discretionary powers to allocate oil blocks, TheCable understands. The bill now confers the power to allocate petroleum exploration and production leases and licences to the Nigeria Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NPRC) which shall be established under the act. The final draft of the new bill, “Petroleum industry governance and institutional framework bill 2015”, available to TheCable, which was concluded on December 2, 2015, limits the power of the president to appoint members of the board of the regulatory commission. The bill aims to promote transparency and accountability in the administration of the petroleum resources of Nigeria, while creating a conducive business environment for petroleum industry operations. The new draft, which mentions the senate only twice, says the upper chamber would be responsible for the ratification of governing board members appointed by the president. “The appointment to the board in respect of persons appointed pursuant to paragraphs (a) to (d) of this section shall be made by the President subject to confirmation of the senate,” the bill reads. “The chairman and non-executive commissioner shall be persons of high integrity and substantial professional experience; in appointing the chairman and the non-executive commissioner, the president shall have due regard to a fair representation of the technical, legal and commercial interest.” The initial PIB, which has been stuck in the national assembly for nearly a decade, conferred discretionary powers on the president to allocate oil blocks in addition to competitive open bidding. As recently as 2012, the PIB presented before the national assembly said “notwithstanding the provisions of the subsection (3) of section 190 or any other provision of this act, the President shall have the power to grant a license or lease under the act”. The presidential minister In the past dispensation, the minister of petroleum was distinctly different from the president, but with President Muhammadu Buhari as the substantive minister of petroleum he may perform the duties of the president and the minister. The bill grants the minister the power to control the oil blocks under the recommendation of the commission. “Upon the recommendation of the commission, grant, amend, renew, extend or revoke petroleum exploration and production licenses and leases pursuant to the provisions of this act or any other enactment,” the bill posits. The minister also has the rights of pre-emption – that is, the right to purchase of goods by one person or party before the opportunity is offered to others – to all petroleum products in times of national emergency or war. “In the event of a state of national emergency or war, the Minister shall have the right of pre-emption of all petroleum and petroleum products obtained, marketed or otherwise dealt with under any license or lease granted under this act or any other enactment,” it says. The Commission The NPRC is saddled with the responsibility of conducting bid rounds for petroleum exploration licenses, but its recommendation can be subject to the minister, who has the power to grant licenses. The commission shall “conduct bid rounds or other processes for the award of petroleum exploration and production licences and leases, approve all field development programmes” and “allocate petroleum quotas”. One or more bills Industry sources confirmed to TheCable, that one or more bills may be proposed after the framework bill is passed. “This bill does not address refineries, gas flaring and some other matters, extensively. So we expect that another bill, perhaps two, may be proposed, as a break out of the original PIB,” a source said. “Let’s keep our fingers crossed and take it one step at a time.” Previous administrations in the country have been accused of allocating oil blocks to their cronies, without any operational capacity to handle such exploration. Ita Enang, who is now the senior special assistant to Buhari on national assembly matters, had said in 2013 that 83 percent of Nigeria’s oil blocks were controlled by northerners. He called on the senate at the time seize the PIB opportunity to revoke all licences and re-allocate all oil blocks. Follow us on twitter @thecableng Copyright 2015 TheCable. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.thecable.ng as the source

Read more at: https://www.thecable.ng/exclusive-new-pib-strips-president-of-the-power-to-allocate-oil-blocks

slowly but surely

Great move if you ask me. It's about time we stripped the office of the president some of its powers, ditto the governors.

I get this feeling no other president in the world compares to the Nigerian president when it comes to rights and privileges.

That was the reason the Ogogoro man once boasted the opposition wouldn't exist if he exercised 1% of the powers of his office.

Nice one!

I cannot imagine this happening under that foolish drunkard jonadafft.

Nice one there, Sai Baba!!

..but grants power to the Minister of Petroleum to control the oil blocs ..

The president is the Minister of Petroleum, here ..

Compare, contrast and dissect the propaganda with a few words ..

World climate conference targets 2025 to cut the use of fossil fuel by half and 2050 for an end to use of fossil fuel. Nigeria is on a long road to liquidation unless we diversify and change our focus to mining "our" Gold instead of drilling "our" Crude oil.

I pity the States and regions that are being presently exploited because in the next two decade they will be dumped and every component (federating) unit will answer their own name.

One Nigeria = Share the oil wealth from Niger Delta States and regions.

Ah, thank you Jesus for Buhari

Wailers... another Negative angle of dis policy is needed from u people!!

Thank U in advance

Clearly shows that the president is not interested in owning or controlling any oil well. His decision to act as the minister of petroleum is simply to instill transparency and accountability in the sector.

dunkem21:
..but grants power to the Minister of Petroleum to control the oil blocs ..


The president is the Minister of Petroleum, here ..


Compare, contrast and dissect the propaganda with a few words ..

Some Dumbos will read your post now and applaud you that you actually understood what is written up there. See this info from the very first paragraph

The bill now confers the power to allocate petroleum exploration and production leases and licences to the Nigeria Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NPRC) which shall be established under the act

How does that translate to the minister of petroleum?

Are you simply programmed to wail irrespective of the info at your disposal?

LadyExcellency:
World climate conference targets 2025 to cut the use of fossil fuel by half and 2050 for an end to use of fossil fuel. Nigeria is on a long road to liquidation unless we diversify and change our focus to mining "our" Gold instead of drilling "our" Crude oil.

I pity the States and regions that are being presently exploited because in the next two decade they will be dumped and every component (federating) unit will answer their own name.

One Nigeria = Share the oil wealth from Niger Delta States and regions.

and my foolish nija delta brothers are not wise enough to understand this facts...we nija deltans are only wise when we here biafra.
but quote me anywere, the biafra we reject today we must regret and beg for it tommorow.

ahaz:
and my foolish nija delta brothers are not wise enough to understand this facts...we nija deltans are only wise when we here biafra.
but quote me anywere, the biafra we reject today we must regret and beg for it tommorow.

The ND does not understand that yet this is why my state Anambra oil and gas are controlled by us orient oil is an indigenous company.