Reps Not Opposed To PIB Passage – Peterside

A member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Gerald Irona,  yesterday in Abuja, said that members of the House were not opposed to the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
Irona (PDP-Imo), who is the chairman, House Committee on Gas Resources, told newsmen that members were only opposed to certain provisions in the bill.
Irona, who is also a member of the Adhoc Committee on the PIB, said “members are only opposed to certain provisions in the bill and not the bill as a whole.’’
According to him, members will not support the bill in its present form, unless some work was done on it.
“We want to give the bill some legislative touches, that is why it is a bill, until we finish with it, and send it to the President for assent.
“I don’t think any member of the National Assembly is keen not to support the passage of the PIB.
The legislator said that it was wrong for people to believe that a section of the country was opposed to the passage of the bill.
“It is a very erroneous impression that a section of the country does not want the PIB passed.
“Members are desirous to ensure that there is a document that will stabilise the operations of oil and gas companies in Nigeria,’’ the lawmaker said.
The legislator said that the committee was working to ensure that exploration and exploitation of oil were given prominence in the proposed bill when it was eventually passed into law.
It would be recalled that some members of the house had kicked against the proposal for funds for host communities and the powers conferred on the Minister of Petroleum Resources in the bill.