Politics
As Jonathan’s PIB War With NASS Rages…
In the heat of insecurity in parts of the northern part of
Nigeria, and sundry distractions,
President Goodluck Jonathan seems obviously bent on accomplishing one of his
major pre-2011election promises – to end chronic power shortage in the country.
And he intends to do this by ensuring that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is
passed in its present state.
But with the lawmakers in the National Assembly (NASS)
picking holes here and there in the PIB, particularly with what they see as
undue powers given to the Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke
and the President, this seems unlikely.
The lawmakers are particularly vexed because from their
perspective, besides giving too much power to the Oil Minister, Jonathan’s
committee also added a clause in the new draft that permits the President to
unilaterally give oil licenses out. This they consider as both powers beyond
the President, and a usurpation of the powers of the legislature.
The question, therefore, is will the PIB have a better
outing in the NASS this time around when the parliament return from recess in September?
What with the determination of rebellious lawmakers to test President
Jonathan’s resolve to push the bill through the way it is?
In a recent interview with Reuters, most of the lawmakers
minced no word in saying that the PIB, which had been stuck in the parliament
since 2008 when it was introduced by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua-led
federal government, will not have an easy ride come September.
From the perspective of President Jonathan, if the bill is
passed, it could restore his presidency, which had been seriously battered by
Islamist insurgency in the north, an abortive attempt to remove a popular fuel
subsidy and a raft of corruption scandals since winning the election last year
April. His team had thus made it clear that they expect a swift passage of the
draft he had signed off on.
In the words of the West African analyst at Control Risks,
Roddy Barclay, “As a President who came to power with a landmark reform agenda,
the passage and in implementation of the PIB will provide a key gauge of
Jonathan’s performance in office.
“Having suffered numerous damaging public scandals in recent
months and making headway on his key piece of legislation would go some way to
restoring his international standing”.
The President’s explicit endorsement of the bill gives it a
better chance of passing compared to previous versions, but his increasingly
tense relationship with parliament means that he is likely to have to concede
some ground or face embarrassing delays.
While speaking to Reuters, spokesman for the House of
Representatives, Zakari Mohammed, puts it thus: “We will not be subjected to
pressure to pass the PIB. It will not get a speedy passage but a thorough
passage”.
Another member of the lower House, who spoke to Reuters
anonymously, painted a better picture of the imminent tug of war awaiting the
debate on the PIB when he said ‘we’ve seen the powers given to the oil minister
in the PIB and there is no way we’re going to allow our heritage to be handed
over to any individual. We want this to pass and it will, but not just the way
the President and the oil minister want”.
The apparent disagreement between the Executive and
Legislature not-with-standing, a section of Nigerians believe that the
misunderstanding could also turn out to be the best thing that can happen to
the country in the face of suffocating corruption and distrust in the Nigerian
system.
For Clement Nwankwo, a Director at the Policy and Legal
Advocacy Centre in Abuja, “this unfavourable sentiment towards the President
and oil minister may actually be positive towards giving Nigeria a reasonably
acceptable PIB”.
The questions thus arise: why the hullabaloo over what would
better the lives of Nigerians? And Who benefits by this prolonged imbroglio?
The original PIB as presented to the NASS in 2008 was
designed to force Nigeria’s oil sector to conform more closely to international
norms. The fiscal terms of oil production were to be amended in order for the
government to collect more revenue while the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC), distinctly lacking in accountability, was to have its
regulatory powers removed. These would be entrusted to the commercial sector.
However, it seems the bill has been greatly watered down.
The restructuring of the industry as proposed by the PIB
would see the establishment of the National Petroleum Commission, which would
be run by a board chaired by a federal minister. It will have the overriding
responsibility of formulating policies for the administration of the industry.
The bill states categorically that the commission under the
Act “shall have power to coordinate the activities of the petroleum industry
and exercise overall supervisory functions over petroleum operations and all
the institutions of the industry.”
It also provides for the creation of some agencies out of
the present Nigerian National Petroleum Commission, while it would transform
into the National Oil Company.
The PIB is expected to bring root and branch reform to an
industry that produces 80 percent of government revenues but has been plagued
by corruption and mismanagement for decades.
The wide-ranging bill would change working terms for major
oil companies like Shell and Exxon and partly privatise the national oil firm,
but has been held up as government, oil firms and other key benefactors argue
over terms under various guises, mostly guided by selfish interest.
This widely believed to have been given credence by the fact
that heading President Jonathan’s reform team is Diezani Alison-Madueke. She is
the Minister of Petroleum Resources and also a former director of Shell
Petroleum Development Corporation. This employment history is seen as being
capable of potentially posing a conflict of interests.
The same interest comes to the fore when it becomes glaring
that some aspects of the bill are being contested by international oil
companies. They include areas that have to do with tax regimes that tend to put
more burdens on such companies and make them more responsible in the way they
do business in Nigeria. Captured under the Nigerian Hydrocarbon Tax, operators
would be required to pay taxes on gas products separately as against what it is
now.
Close observers of the industry believe that Shell is one of
the biggest beneficiaries of the murkiness of Nigeria’s oil sector. The attempt
by the sixth National Assembly (2007-11) to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill
was allegedly cut short due to movements by international oil companies.
In 2010, for instance, leaked United States diplomatic
cables quoted Ann Pickard, then Vice-President of Shell for Africa, boasting
about how Shell encouraged employees to infiltrate all relevant government
agencies.
Secondly, while some sections of Nigerians suggest that the
expected reforms would convert NNC into a profit centre, this may perhaps
amount to being overly optimistic because as long as the NNPC remains an
appendage of the executive government and an epicentre of patronage, this
change may not be plausible.
While baring his mind on the bill, Chairman of the Senate
Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Senator Magnus Abe, said it should not be
a surprise that a revolutionary piece of legislation like the PIB is attracting
this kind of resistance in the legislature.
According to him, “There is no way you will make such a revolutionary
reorganisation of the oil industry in this country without going through
challenges. I think it will be naïve of any Nigerian to think so. I know for a
fact that there are a lot of interests: economic interests, political interests
and social interests that are tied to the oil sector.
“In dealing with a subject like the petroleum industry bill,
which seeks to reshape the industry, recreate it and remake it on a commercial
basis, we will take out a lot of the waste and the unnecessary patronage that
is currently associated with the industry, and I don’t think that we can
achieve that without some level of turbulence and challenges.”
One way out of the mess in the oil sector, he continued, is
for the National Assembly to “put the interest of Nigeria first, finding a
common ground and passing a law that would enable the petroleum industry to
develop for the benefit of the people.
“I know that oil industry players would have their own
interest, which they would like to see written into the law; but we are
Nigerians, the resources belong to us and it is the interest of our people that
we should promote over and everything else.
“We also have to remember that in promoting the interest of
our people, we must make sure that those who participate in the industry can
get fair returns for their investments because if they don’t get it, then even
trying to get something for your own people will be useless.
“It is not rocket science. There are existing models in
other societies that they have used and it is working and has worked very well.
You can even take the case of Malaysia, we have Petronas; in Brazil, you have
Petrolbraz and the Libyan Oil Company.
“All these are reformed oil sectors that have resulted in
the national oil companies themselves becoming major economic and big time
players in the industry. They are even investing in other societies outside and
bringing home profits from their investments.
“But instead, our own NNPC is a source of debt, a source of
patronage, is a source of waste; it is a source of mismanagement of the oil
industry. So the PIB is supposed to take care of all that and any time you want
to change something that people are benefiting from, there is bound to be
challenges. You know that that is always the case, people don’t give away their
benefits,” Abe said.
President of the Senate, David Mark, has also promised that
the bill would be given due attention once it comes before the Senate, noting
that “the problem with the PIB was that when it showed up, there were so many
versions. As many as three or four versions were in the hands of senators and
members of the House of Representatives.”
He however said, “If we are to build the sector, we have to
get the bill off the ground and this is why it is necessary for cooperation
between the legislative and the executive.”
If the Chambers are so determined, then, an end to this long
journey seems near. One certainty is that whatever the bill looks like at the
end of the day, passing it would at least end the uncertainty that had
prevented Nigeria from holding an oil licensing round for over five years.
Again, if it is passed with the sole interest of the
Nigerian populace at heart, it will not only attract investment into natural
gas in the country, but also be the beginning of an end to chronic power
shortages. This is obviously the kind of legacy President Jonathan would want
to bequeath to future generations of this great country.
Politics
Atiku Quits PDP, Says Decision Heartbreaking

Former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Alhaji Abubakar disclosed his intention to leave the opposition party in a letter addressed to the PDP ward chairman in Jada, Jada Local Government Area (LGA) of Adamawa state.
Alhaji Abubakar described his departure from the PDP as “heartbreaking”, saying the party has strayed from the ideals on which it was founded.
“I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude for the opportunities I have been given by the Party,” Alhaji Abubakar said.
“Serving two full terms as Vice President of Nigeria and being a presidential candidate twice has been one of the most significant chapters of my life.
“As a founding father of this esteemed Party, it is indeed heartbreaking for me to make this decision.
“However, I find it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the Party has taken, which I believe diverges from the foundational principles we stood for.
“It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognising the irreconcilable differences that have emerged.
“I wish the Party and its leadership all the best in the future”, he added.
Alhaji Abubakar’s resignation from the PDP comes days after the opposition coalition politicians adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as their political platform for the 2027 elections.
Among the coalition leaders are Rotimi Amaechi, a former Transportation Minister; Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election; Nasir el-Rufai, former Kaduna State Governor; and John Oyegun, former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Others include Sule Lamido, former Governor of Jigawa State; Uche Secondus, former PDP National Chairman; Babangida Aliyu, former Governor of Niger State; Sam Egwu, former governor of Ebonyi State; Aminu Tambuwal, former Governor of Sokoto State; and Liyel Imoke, former Governor of Cross River State, among others.
Politics
2027: Group Vows To Prevail On Diri To Dump PDP For APC
A group, ‘Concerned Bayelsa Stakeholders Forum (CBSF),’ has intensified calls on the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The CBSF which comprises members of various political parties, non-partisan citizens and residents of the state also has non-indigenes and people from different religious organisations as members.
Speaking at a world press conference held in Yenagoa, the State capital on Tuesday, the group, through its convener who doubles as Technical Adviser to the Governor on Media/Public Affairs, Snr. Comrade Wisdom Ikuli, passed a confidence vote on Governor Diri, commending his selfless service to the State and the Ijaw nation.
Mr Ikuli averred that there was need for the state to align with the federal government. Citing the benefits of having a government at the centre that can attract development to the state, he noted that the PDP at the national level had been long enmeshed in crisis.
“The current leadership of the PDP under whose platform the governor is leading the state has been hijacked by few individuals. This poses threats to the interest of the state.
“Presently, our state is standing alone as the only PDP state in the whole of the South South region. The above may not be too much an issue. The greatest challenge here is the hijack of the PDP by few individuals and the very dangerous traps that they have set for Bayelsa in 2027, particularly those that intend to fly the flag of PDP.
“There are concluded arrangements to hide under the excuse of crisis and countless court cases in PDP at different levels to work to nullify the nomination of all candidates that will emerge under the party platform. So, we can imagine the pains, agony and disarray that the state shall experience if the state remains in PDP.
“The ongoing Coalition is also an embodiment of people who conspired to deny Bayelsa State and indeed the entire Ijaw Nation, a second term at the Presidency in 2015. Thus, the coalition can never be an option.
“ It is based on the above that we unanimously appeal to the Governor to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to show southern solidarity with other southern governors who are with Mr. President”, the group said.
“But as we move forward, one of the greatest priorities in the alliance with the centre should be the actualisation of the Agge Seaport that will help to boost the state economy and also bring about unimaginable transformation and prosperity. In the next few days we shall begin a daily rally on the streets of Yenagoa to prevail on His Excellency to do the needful.
“Finally, His Excellency should ignore all opposing voices against his defection. We say this because they are all fighting to protect their individual political interest without prioritising that of the state and the entire Ijaw nation.
“ We wish to reassure His Excellency that vast majority of Bayelsans are with him and together, we shall move forward”, the CBSF added.
The group thanked President Bola Tinubu for appointing Ijaw sons and daughters into key positions, including Senator Heineken Lokpobiri as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources; Chief Samuel Ogbuku as Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC); Chief Ebitimi Amgbare as Managing Director, Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA), amongst others.
Meanwhile, the CBSF has also charged Governor Diri to prioritize the actualization of the Agge Deep Seaport project, saying it will boost the economy of the state and bring about transformation and prosperity, noting, however, that plans have reached advanced stages for the CBSF to hit the streets of Yenagoa with rallies with a view to prevailing on the governor to defect to the APC.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
Politics
Nasarawa Speaker Advocates Conducive Executive/Legislature Relations

The Speaker made the call on Wednesday while hosting councillors from the 13 local government areas of the State in his residence in Lafia, the state capital.
Rt Hon. Jatau said that a good working relationship among the arms of government at the council level was key to development, hence, the need for his call in that direction.
He appreciated the councillors for condoling with him over the death of his younger sister, Hajaratu Jatau, and prayed to God to bless them abundantly.
“I started as a councillor, and today I am the Speaker. There is the need for a good working relationship between you and the elected chairmen for development to thrive at the grassroots. It is in view of this that I want to call on you to give your elected chairmen all the necessary and needed support to succeed. For development to thrive at the grassroots, you must embrace one another and see yourselves as team players,” the Speaker said.
Rt Hon. Jatau also called on them to coexist peacefully among themselves and continue to drum up support for Governor Abdullahi Sule’s administration to succeed.
Besides, he assured them that the state government would soon organise training for them to deliver effective service.
Rt Hon. Jatau also assured them that the state government would pay them their furniture allowance, as well as other benefits, to enhance their legislative work.
Earlier, the chairman of the Nasarawa State Councillors Forum, Mohammed Madaki, who is the Leader of Lafia LGA Legislative Assembly, said that the visit was to identify with the Speaker over the death of his sister.
The leader of the delegation urged the Speaker to see the death of his sister as an act of God and bear the irreplaceable loss.
Mr Madaki assured the Speaker of their loyalty and support at all times.
The chairman, however, appealed to the Speaker to intervene in the training of the councillors as well as the payment of their furniture allowance.
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