PIA: NASS Will Revisit 3% For Host Communities, Lawmaker Assures

Senatecommittee

Chairman on Public Accounts, Matthew Urhoghide, yesterday, said an amendment to the

Petroleum Industry Act ( PIA) would be carried out by the Senate once it resumes from its recess following the condemnation that trailed the ceding of three per cent to host communities in the Petroleum Industry Act ( PIA).

The senator representing

Edo South Senatorial District disclosed this in Benin City, Edo State, while fielding questions from journalists.

He said: “When we get back, the PIA is going to probably get the first attention of amendment. Any law, no matter how new it is, once it is signed into law, somebody can call for the amendment of the PIA when we resume. It will go through first and second reading, then to committee for further legislative action and public hearing. And if it succeeds, it goes through third hearing and once it is passed, it goes to the President for the amendment of the PIA.

“So, we are expecting that because of the hues and cry of the Niger Deltans, the president will probably send it back to the National Assembly and it will go by way of substantive motion back on the floor to say that bill that was passed into law needs amendment and we can now reopen it. The president has already signed it and can only come by way of an amendment to the act.”

He noted that although the bill had been signed into law by the president, there was still a lot of optimism about the amount of money that the oil companies would bring to the host communities.