Reps Hold Down PIB Over Contentious Clauses

Further consideration of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) was yesterday suspended by members of the House of Representatives, owing to the sectional line the consideration of the report appeared to take.
Suspension of consideration of the PIB is coming just a few days to the end of the 7th Assembly.
Deputy Speaker of the House, Emeka Ihedioha who is also Chairman Committee of the whole House halted further consideration of the report when he noticed that argument over some contentious clauses had taken on regional dimension.
He therefore mandated the ad-hoc committee to do further work on the contentious clauses to enable the House make informed decision when it resumes.
Before then, members from the South and North were at variance over what percentage of national fund should go to certain projects in their areas.
He said: “What we have seen on the floor is a political and emotional solution being put forward by members, but what we need is a technical solution.
“What we must realize is that the import of the PIB is very critical to Nigerians because the National Assembly has been accused at various times for not passing the Bill.
“So, we have to take our time to pass it and pass a bill that can stand the text of time. The committee should go back and involved technical people so that whatever we support at the end of the day will be in favour of Nigeria.
“You have to come up with figures that can be defended by the House. If we go into voting now, it will only be political voting, but we have to be technically guided to be able to do the best for Nigeria.”
Also yesterday, members of the House kicked against the consideration of a report clearing the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison Madueke, of any wrong doing in an alleged shady sale of seven oil blocs.
The report, which was put together by an ad hoc committee headed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum, Upstream, Muraino Ajibola, cleared Alison- Madueke of any misdeed in the transaction.

Rivers State Governor, Chief (Barr) Nyesom Wike (right), congratulating the new Acting Chief Judge of the state, Justice Daisy Okocha (middle), after her swearing-in in Port Harcourt on Monday. With them are the new Acting President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Rivers State, Justice Christy Gabriel-Nwankwo (left), and other judicial officers