Members of House of Representatives have threatened to boycott session on Wednesday, next week meant for the presentation of 2019 Appropriation Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The threat was a reaction to some uncomplimentary remarks on them attributed to the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma. House of Representatives: row over Super Tucano jets
The Minister was alleged, Wednesday to accuse the Legislature of stifling efforts to lay the budget, saying they have not given them a date.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja said that reforming the Petroleum Industry was necessary to unlock numerous untapped potentials for the nation and that he will not be in a rush to carry out reforms.
President Buhari said that reforms in the industry must be well thought out and must have the best interest of Nigeria and Nigerians as its core objective. He also declared that his administration was prepared to respond to any acts of hostility and sabotage of the nation’s oil assets in the Niger Delta region.
President Buhari was responding to one of the demands made by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, leadership after receiving the award of Grand Comrade of the Productive Workers of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Union, presented by its National President, Comrade Williams Akporegha. Maintaining that reforming the Petroleum Industry was necessary to unlock numerous untapped potentials for the nation, he assured that whatever reforms taking place in the sector must be for the overall interest of the country.
He said, “Such reforms cannot and must not be rushed, if we must get it right. We are still suffering from the effects of many legacy policies that were rushed and passed without fully appreciating the consequences the provisions embedded in them. “Whatever decision we take now will impact either negatively or positively on generations to come.
The Petroleum Industry Bill was conceived to ensure Nigeria’s future generations are positively impacted by its oil wealth it was never about shod term gains. “I want to assure you that dialogue on the Petroleum industry Bill is still on-going.
At the end, we will have a bill that the nation will be proud of.” On security in the Niger Delta, he said,
“I am sure you will all agree that pipeline vandalism has declined. We have, and will continue to promote peaceful engagement with the communities while at the same time maintain our readiness to respond to any hostile acts of sabotage.”
The President commended the union for their support to government which he said has contributed to the continued uninterrupted supply of products to consumers across the country in the last three years.
Buhari who urged the oil sector trade body to continue on its patriotic path assured of his government support to the course of Nigerian workers at all times. Also responding on the demand of the union to fix the nation’s refineries,
President Buhari said the Public Private Partnership approach adopted to rehabilitate our existing refineries has taken longer than expected.
He said, “However, I am aware that the NNPC has concluded the process for selecting the private sector partners that will rehabilitate the refineries. I am informed that they are working out finances and hopefully, work will commence soon.” He said government will also support innovative ideas that will bring new refineries investments into the country. Buhari said,
“As one of the architects of the Nigeria Contents Monitoring and Development Act, l am sure NUPENG members appreciate that a key principle of this act is the indigenization of certain processes and production functions.