Reps Pass PIB On Last Legislative Day

Rivers State Governor, Chief (Barr) Nyesom Wike proclaiming the 8th session of the Rivers State House of Assembly in Port Harcourt, last Monday.

The House of Representatives yesterday passed the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) as the seventh Assembly ended its tenure yesterday.

After several years of back and forth, the bill, which has, as one of its central tenets, the requirement to indigenise the oil and gas industry, had on the last day of legislation of the 6th House of Representatives in 2011 been killed.

However, consideration of its contents continued in the 7th Assembly.

But on Tuesday, the Reps suspended the consideration of clause 209 of the PIB, due to some contentious issues, raising fears the PIB will again fail to be passed by the outgoing legislators. The bill first went out in 2009.

But on resumption of the consideration of the ad-hoc committee’s report, the outgoing members agreed to let the clauses pass.

According to Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, who has taken over leadership of the house since Aminu Tambuwal resumed as Sokoto State governor, the House took painstaking steps in constituting the ad-hoc committee on PIB in order to reflect the diverse interests of the country.

“I want to believe that the House has done its best and represented our constituencies very well. Barring last minute unforeseen circumstances, today may be our last sitting day,” the deputy speaker said.