YENAGOA (Sundiata Post) – Senate yesterday made a firm promise not to fail on the consideration and passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) contrary to what was witnessed in the 6th and 7th Senate.
Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, while inaugurating the additional eleven standing committees of the Senate, added that the passage of the PIB, when represented by the executive, is very necessary for adequate reforms in the nation’s oil and gas sector.
Saraki, who hinted that the Senate has adopted the PIB as one of its legislative agenda, added that the legislature is already working with the executive towards getting the bill passed quickly.
“The oil and gas industry remains the lifeblood of the Nigerian economy. The industry is going through a downturn period, which presents also the opportunity for us to reform the local industry to meet with changing times.
“Attempts in the last to reform the industry through the Petroleum Industry Bill have not been able to go full circle for variety of reasons, the 8th Senate and by extension, 8th National Assembly is ready to tackle with all sense of patriotism,” he said.
He, therefore, charged the Petroleum Upstream, Petroleum Downstream and Gas committees to immediately swing into action so as to make the quick passage of the bill possible just as he informed that the Senate would, in a matter of weeks, begin consideration of the first seething of bills on the petroleum industry reforms.
According to him, the chairmen and members of the committees were carefully chosen to help the upper house complete the reform process that will make the nation’s oil and gas industry more adaptive to international best practices.
“The Senate expects that you pay very good attention to these bills and treat them with dispatch so that we can quickly move towards the implementation of the reforms, which have become long overdue,” he stressed.
He added that by the committees inauguration, the senate has begun the full implementation of its vision to make laws that will impact positively in the lives of Nigerians.
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Other committees inaugurated by the Senate president are Petroleum Upstream; Petroleum Downstream; Gas; Education (Basic and Secondary); Women Affairs; Employment, Labour and Productivity; Establishment and Public Service; Culture and Tourism; Special Duties; and States and Local Government Affairs, respectively.