Featured

Senate’s Passage Of PIGB Excites N’ Deltans …As Saraki Announces Passage Of 201 Bills In Three Years

Published

9 years ago

March 30, 2018

Stakeholders in the Niger Delta have expressed gratitude to the Senate for the passage of the much-awaited Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), with approval of five per cent levy on fuel sold across the country.
The stakeholders, who spoke with The Tide, in Port Harcourt, yesterday, said that the passage of the bill by the Senate, last Wednesday, was a welcome development, more than 14 years after the bill was introduced in the National Assembly.
They argued that the bill, if assented into law, would enhance economic revitalisation of the region, and boost revenue inflow across all oil producing states in the region, while at the same time curbing youth restiveness and unemployment.
It would be recalled that the passage of the bill was sequel to unanimous adoption of the report on the Bill presented by Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), Senator Tayo Alasoadura by the lawmakers at plenary, last Wednesday.
The Bill is the culmination of several years of efforts at reforming the oil and gas industry.
The process began under former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2000, with the establishment of Oil and Gas Implementation Committee (OGIC).
“OGIC issued a report and policy document, which was later approved by the Late Musa Yar’ Adua’s administration and resulted in the Petroleum Industry Bill being forwarded to the 6th National Assembly.”
The Bill went through several redrafts, including a wholesale amendment by the Executive arm of government, but it ultimately failed to be passed during the 6th National Assembly.
In the aftermath of the fuel subsidy protests in January, 2012, the then Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Alison-Madueke announced the establishment of a technical committee to harmonise the various versions of the draft bill.
The PIGB as passed seeks to provide for the governance and institutional framework for the petroleum industry.
Specifically, the PIGB seeks to unbundle the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), provide for the establishment of Federal Ministry of Petroleum Incorporated and Nigerian Petroleum Regulatory Commission.
Others are Nigerian Petroleum Assets Management Company and National Petroleum Company and Petroleum Equalisation Fund.
The regulatory bill bulkanises NNPC and creates the National Petroleum Commission.
It scraps the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and establishes the Nigeria Petroleum Regulatory Commission which will take over the functions of the three agencies.
It also empowers the body to issue licenses, permits or authorisations for downstream gas, petroleum products, storage depots, retail outlets, transportation and distribution facilities for the industry.
The five per cent fuel levy will be used to finance the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) as established in the bill.
This followed consideration and adoption of the conference committee report on the PIGB at plenary.
Section 36 (1) (a) of the Bill provides that “there shall be established the Petroleum Equalisation Fund into which shall be paid all monies payable to the Equalisation Fund by way of a five per cent fuel levy.
“This is in respect of all fuel sold and distributed within the Federation which shall be charged subject to the approval of the Minister (of Petroleum)”.
Other sources of funding PEF, according to the Bill, include subventions, fees and charges for services rendered as well as net surplus revenue recovered from petroleum products marketing companies.
The Bill says Equalisation Fund shall collect all revenues and levies charged, determine the net surplus revenue recoverable from any oil marketing company.
“Determine the amount of reimbursement due to any oil marketing company for purposes of equalisation of price of products among others.’’
Speaking after the bill was passed, President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the bill.
“I hope with this, we will get the assent of the President and hopefully open a new page for the petroleum industry,” he said.
Meanwhile, the President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki took to his twitter handle @BukolaSaraki announced yesterday that the Senate has passed a total of 201 bills in three years and congratulate his colleagues for a job well done.
Saraki expressed optimism that in the 15 months that were left, the senate would pass more bills that will affect the lives of Nigerians.
“As of today, the Senate has passed 201 Bills. We still have 15 months to go, yet, we have reached this milestone. I would like to thank my Distinguished Colleagues for their hard work and cooperation over the last 33 months.
As of today, the Senate has passed 201 Bills. We still have 15 months to go, yet, we have reached this milestone.
I would like to thank my Distinguished Colleagues for their hard work and cooperation over the last 33 months, Saraki said.

Featured

Rivers Capable Of Delivering Massive Votes For Tinubu, Chinda, Others -Fubara …Charges APC, Rainbow Coalition To Embrace Team Work

Published

7 hours ago

November 13, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that the State is capable of delivering massive votes for President Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Kingsley Chinda and other candidates of the Rainbow Coalition in the 2027 general elections.

Fubara, who stated this yesterday at the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in Port Harcourt, said the surest path to victory is for the members of the Presidential Campaign Council drawn from the APC and the Rainbow Coalition to embrace the spirit of teamwork.

He said what the state was witnessing in the current political season is a repeat of the successful mobilization done in 2022 and 2023, when a large campaign council worked in unity to deliver victory for him and for President Tinubu.

He added that the present council is bigger, wider and better coordinated and should therefore achieve even better results.

He noted that the beauty of the new council is the fact that some persons who were in the opposition camp during the previous elections are now part of the team, saying their inclusion has made the task easier, provided everyone works as one team and with sincerity of purpose.

The governor thanked the Coordinator of the Presidential Campaign Council for Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, and other leaders who worked tirelessly to bring the council to fruition, stressing that nothing is impossible especially when people work together for a common purpose.

He expressed optimism that with seriousness and commitment, the state would record a higher number of votes than it recorded in 2023.

Fubara, while congratulating members who made the list, appealed to those whose names were omitted not to be discouraged, as there are still sub-committees to be constituted and the list can still be updated, even as he warned against double loyalty.

He said the state has gone past the stage of division and is now looking to the future and what God holds for Rivers people, expressing confidence that with the strategy already put in place, the APC and the Rainbow Coalition would come out victorious in 2027.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and Coordinator of the Campaign Council, Chief Nyesom Wike, while inaugurating the Council, lauded Fubara for finding time to attend the ceremony and other engagements of the Council in spite of his busy schedules.

Wike, who is also the National Leader of the PDP/ Rainbow Coalition, reminded members of the Council that they were chosen based on their capacity to participate in the activities of the group and deliver positive results.

He charged them to work hard to win votes for the candidates of the APC and the Rainbow Coalition for the Presidential, Governorship, National Assembly as well as State House of Assembly elections next year.

He disclosed that apart from the Presidential Campaign Council and its sub-committees, the Local Government Campaign Councils will soon be inaugurated to ensure better coverage of the grassroots during the current campaign season.

Featured

RSG Floats MNET Culture Content Promo

Published

1 week ago

November 6, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has floated a culture content platform in collaboration with digital television group, Multichoice.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Freddy Ndigbara, disclosed this after a meeting with MultiChoice Head of Content Acquisition, Don Dotun Ojon, in Port Harcourt.

He assured that content entrepreneurs and film makers would enjoy the platform by promoting culture and other contents to sell the states tourism potentials.

He said MultiChoice M-net was now open to increase its patronage for content shots on locations in Rivers State, describing the State as one that has numerous potentials for film tourism.

“We were privileged to have Don Ojon with us at the Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) at the weekend in Bonny and he saw, first hand, the numerous sites and opportunities that are open to creatives in the State. After that, we felt it was important to deepen the conversation and he obliged. This is a cheering news for the sector in the State,” he said.

Ndigbara stated that “Rivers State has many more untold stories to tell, many more contents to reel out and the assurances from the M-net Acquisition Manager is an indication that the industry in the state will soon enjoy a new lease of life”.

The Permanent Secretary thanked Ojon for the visit and assured that creatives in the State would grap this opportunity and show the world that Rivers State is a major hub for film tourism in Nigeria.

On his part, Ojon said the visit was to discuss on ways of promoting tourism in the State using creatives and film.

Ojon said although the company has recently been acquired by canal+ France and is undergoing restructuring, he would promote the chances of Rivers State to host the MultiChoice talent factory in the State.

With Asaba, capital of Delta State, being saturated, Ojon said the next port is Rivers State, which he said is capable of building fresh crop of creatives, new locations, new story lines and concepts.

He, therefore, called for collaboration from stakeholders in the State.

Kevin Nengia

Featured

APC Presidential Campaign Storms PH, ‘Morrow

Published

1 week ago

November 6, 2026

The Tide

Barring last minute changes, the presidential campaign train of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will storm Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, tomorrow.

This is according to a campaign timetable released by the APC Campaign Council last month.

The Tide reports that the APC presidential campaign kicked off in Kaduna on October 24 with President Bola Tinubu in attendance.

The campaign train later moved to Cross River, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Ekiti on November 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively with the Vice President, Kashim Shettima representing the President at the rallies.

President Tinubu is personally scheduled to attend 12 states including Rivers, Kaduna, Plateau, Oyo, Borno, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, Adamawa and Lagos.

The Rivers State rally, scheduled to hold at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, is expected to witness a large crowd of party supporters drawn from a coalition of political parties in the State.

The party is expected to round off its presidential campaign in Lagos State on January 9, 2027.

The Tide reports that Tinubu has not visited Rivers State as President since he assumed office in May 2023. His last physical visit to the State was before his inauguration on Wednesday, May 3 – Thursday, May 4, 2023, when he was hosted by then Governor Nyesom Wike in Port Harcourt to commission the Rumuola/Rumuokwuta Flyover and the Magistrates’ Court Complex.

Tomorrow’s visit will be his first to the State since assuming office.