PIGB suffers setback in N/Assembly

One year after it was passed, the Petroleum Industry and Governance Bill (PIGB) was yesterday returned to the conference Committee for further legislative action.

The bill conceived to restructure the country oil sector was passed at the Senate in May last year and its harmonised version was passed in March this year.

The Senate leader, Ahmad Lawan (APC,Yobe) moved a motion that the bill be referred to the conference committee for further legislative action.

Lawan said the bill which was passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives was transmitted to the Clerk, National Assembly for onward transmission to the President Muhammadu Buhari for Assent on 10th April, 2018 before the observation was made.

He noted that after critical examination of the Bill, the Directorate of Legal Services of the National Assembly observed some fundamental issues which requires fresh legislative action.

Our correspondent reports that Lawan did not mention the issues raised on the bill.

Relying on order 1(b) of the Senate Standing Rule, Lawan requested that the Bill be referred to the Conference Committee on the Petroleum Industry and Governance that had earlier worked on it to consider the observations raised by the Directorate of Legal Services.

In his remark, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki gave the chairman of the conference committee, Tayo Alasoadura (APC, Ondo) a week to work on the bill. “We must consider this bill before we go on break,” he said.