The increment in the pump price of petrol from
N86.50k to N145 by the Federal Government will
make members of the two chambers of the
National Assembly, to accelerate the process of
the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill,
intended to ensure efficiency and sanity in the
sector.
A cross section of senators who stated this in
telephone conversations with our correspondent
in Abuja on Saturday, on and off the record,
expressed confidence that since the issue was
the most important in the country at the moment,
the federal lawmakers would take the PIB issue
with all the seriousness it deserves.
The Senate had on Wednesday, April 13, started
legislative procedure for the passage of the
controversial bill as the document scaled first
reading on the floor of the upper chamber.
The bill has been renamed Petroleum Industry
and Governance Bill after both chambers of the
National Assembly, had harmonised it.
The development marked the third time that the
document would pass first reading in the Senate.
However, an attempt to begin formal debate on
the bill in the Senate, failed on Tuesday, April 26,
following strong opposition mounted by senators
mostly from the Southern part of the country.
The senators kicked against the second reading
of the PIB, on grounds that the usual procedure
where copies of bills meant to be presented for
debate on the floor, were always circulated to
members ahead of time, was not followed.
Senator Godswill Akpabio had requested that the
copies of the bill be circulated to all members to
study ahead of the formal debate so that they
could study and make useful contributions.
The senators also rejected the suggestion of the
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who presided
over the day’s plenary, that the debate be stood
down till the following day, hence deliberations on
it had been postponed indefinitely.
But the Chairman, Senate Committee on
Petroleum Resources ( Upstream) Senator Tayo
Alasoadura, who would lead the debate on the
bill, told our correspondent that the bill would
enjoy accelerate consideration now that
everyone in Nigeria was expecting the desired
sanity and efficiency in the oil and gas sector.
Also, the Senator representing Oyo South,
Adesoji Akanbi, on Saturday expressed
confidence that the passage of the PIB will
address the current challenges in the sector.
Akanbi, also criticised his fellow lawmakers who
are supporting the current industrial action
embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress
to protest the hike in fuel price.
He said the senators were supposed to educate
Nigerians that there was no provision for fuel
subsidy in the 2016 budget.

www.punchng.com/fuel-price-hikell-accelerate-passage-pib-senators/

Better

Utter crap!

I don't even see where the two relate sef!