Amidst growing discontentment over some aspects of the passed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) by the National Assembly, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has announced the composition of the conference committee on the controversial Bill.
The announcement was made on Tuesday at the start of plenary.
But some Nigerians, particularly, from the Southern region have continued to express their concerns, describing the bill as it relates to the proposed three percent of the oil to the host communities as well as the 30 percent share of the profit for the exploration of oil and gas in the basins as discriminatory and deceptive.
They also fault the redefinition of host communities, ownership structure of the new NNPC limited as devisive and skewed to favor a particular section of the country.
Femi Falama, human rights activist said even the five percent should be seen as the minimum.
Speaking on Channels Television, Politics Today on Monday, Falana said the recommended 3 percent is too small considering the associated degradation that the people have been suffering for long.
Another analyst who pleaded anonymity sees the action of the National Assembly as playing a script already written by some powerful Nigerians who want a particular section of the country to ‘grab as much as they can before the inevitable disintegration of the country begins.’
He sees the nineth Assembly living up to its acquired name of ‘rubber stamp’ of the executive.
Another analyst sees it as part of the necessary requirements, such as discontentment, government apathy, marginalization for the country’s smooth sailing to disintegration.
However, the defiant Lawan has gone ahead to appoint the members of the committee to include
Senate Leader Yahaya Abdullahi – Chairman; Senators Mohammed Sabo – North West; Albert Bassey Akpan – South South; Danjuma Goje – North East; Opeyemi Bamidele – South West; Stella Oduah – South East; Gabriel Suswam – North Central.
According to Ezrel Tabiowo
Special Assistant (Press)
to President of the Senate, the members were charged to meet with their counterparts in the House of Representatives to enable the National Assembly come up with a final document on the PIB for transmission to the Executive arm of government.
He said, “The conference committee will meet with our counterparts in the House, the House will also announce the composition of the conference committee, and we hope that they will swing into action immediately, so that we are able to have the final document of the PIB which we will transmit for the presidential assent.
“So, we expect our delegation here under the leadership of the Senate Leader to engage with our colleagues in the House of Representatives.”
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