The controversy surrounding the whereabouts of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, 2018 has finally been put to rest on Wednesday.
Recall that Ita Enang, Senior Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate) had penultimate week debunked claims by the Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara that the bill has been transmitted to the Presidency for assent.
In his reaction, Enang who was a former Chairman of Senate Committee on Rules and Business in the seventh Assembly said: “Further to several enquiries by the media, interest groups and the public in respect of the within named bill, may l please state that the said bill has not yet been transmitted by the National Assembly to the President.
“From my enquiries, the bill is still undergoing standard operating legislative processes of the National Assembly preparatory to transmission, please,” he said.
Speaker Yakubu Dogara while delivering his keynote address during the public hearing on the three bills: Petroleum Industry Administration, Fiscal and Host Community bills, held on the 15th May, 2018, informed captains of industry, management of OICs that the “Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, 2017 has been passed by both the House and Senate and is now before the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for assent.”
Meanwhile, the House resolved to rescind its resolution on some sections of the Petroleum Industry and Governance Bill, 2018 in pursuant to Order Nine, Rule 1(6) of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives.
In his lead debate, Orker-Jev Emmanuel, chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business explained that the defects were uncovered during the “process of cleaning and authentication of the content of the Bill by the Directorates of Legal Services.”
The affected defects include: Clauses 17, 20, 33, 47, 95 and 102 of the Petroleum Industry Governance bill.
He said: “the House notes that the Petroleum Industry and Governance Bill was passed by the House on Thursday 25 January, 2018 and is awaiting the Assent of the President.
“The House is aware that during the process of cleaning and authentication of the content of the Bill by the Directorates of Legal Services, observable defects were noticed in Clauses 17, 20, 33, 47, 95 and 102 of the Bill.
“The House is desirous of the need to strengthen the law to be more functional in its operations.
To this end, the House resolved to “rescind its decision on Clauses 17, 20, 33, 47, 95 and 102 of the Bill and recommit same to the Committee of the Whole for reconsideration and passage.”
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
