House of Representatives Wednesday said it would pass the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) before the end of June.
The Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila said though PIGB has been in the National Assembly for years, the current 9th Assembly was committed to putting it to rest.
Gbajabiamila stated this wednesday when a delegation of the Experts Advisory Panel of the Nigeria Natural Resource Charter paid him a courtesy call in Abuja.
He explained that the PIGB is on the front burner of the House, assuring that the lawmakers would commence the process of its passage soon.
Gbajabiamila said: “The legislature needs to work with you. We need to work together. Oil and gas is an integral part of our economy. It remains the mainstay of our economy, and so we have to work together to protect it.
“It requires us to work with those who understand the nuances of that sector. For the oil and gas industry to develop, there has to be a symbiotic relationship. You have the knowledge and we have the capacity to make it happen.
“PIGB is on the front burner. We intend to start the process soon. We’re hoping that by June, we’ll be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Gbajabiamila assured that the House would use the zeal and patriotism with which it passed the Deep Offshore Sharing Agreement Law to pass the PIGB.
He added that the lawmakers would put Nigeria first, just like they did with the passage of the Deep Offshore bill into law, saying that’s what they would do with the PIGB.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, noted that the panel’s main concern was the implementation of the natural resource charter for Nigeria’s oil and gas sector to benefit the citizens.
Ajumogobia, who was a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, also said the panel was at the Speaker’s office to seek his understanding and cooperation to pass some bills that could boost Nigeria’s economy, one of which is the PIGB.
Source: THISDAY
