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Gbajabiamila Assures PIB, Electoral Act Passage In Two Weeks …As Senate Debates PIB Report, ’Morrow
Baring any change of plans, the long-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) will be passed into law in two weeks’ time.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila made the disclosure during the lower chamber’s plenary, yesterday.
He also reiterated the commitment of the House of Representatives to pass the Electoral Act Amendment Bill as well as the Supplementary Budget into law.
Gbajabiamila, who read a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari, seeking parliamentary approval of the 2021 Supplementary Appropriation Bill of N895.8billion, disclosed at plenary, yesterday.
He encouraged the House to work together within the time frame to ensure the passage of the three pieces of legislation.
He said, “I will be meeting with the Ad-Hoc Committee on PIB, today by 3 pm to tidy up some things. We need to pass these pieces of legislation before we go on the annual break. Two weeks is a very short time. We must do it all. These are landmark legislations, including the supplementary budget.”
Meanwhile, the Senate will, today, consider the 2021 Supplementary Budget of N895.8billion.
The President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, said this in his remarks on a Point of Order raised by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Sen. Jibrin Barau, during plenary, yesterday.
Barau had raised Point of Order 43 of the Senate Standing Rules, seeking for more time to submit the report on “A Supplementary Bill for an Act to authorise the issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation the total sum of N895, 842, 465, 917.
“We were given the mandate to submit the report today (Tuesday).
“I want to inform this distinguished Senate that we have started work on the bill. We discovered that we needed more time because we feel we must meet the minimum standard set out by the rules of this Senate in processing the bill.’’
According to him, the time we expect we will be able to do this is this week, and then get our report submitted next Tuesday.
“I appeal to this distinguished Senate to permit us to submit our report on Tuesday next week.’’
President of the Senate while interjecting said, “chairman, you will not have more than today.
“This is a very straightforward Supplementary Budget request. So, it doesn’t need two weeks working on it. And you remember, we have a line-up of so many important bills to consider in this Senate.
“So, you have today. You lay tomorrow, we receive tomorrow, please. Because I am sure you had the entire weekend from Wednesday, almost six days. That should be enough. These are just two sectors.
“It is not a complicated thing. So, you don’t need up to Tuesday next week. So, you submit tomorrow (Wednesday) please,’’ Lawan said.
It would be recalled that a Supplementary Bill for an Act to authorise the issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, the total sum of N895, 842, 465, 917 on June 23, scaled second reading in the Senate.
President Muhammadu Buhari had sent a request for supplementary budget to the upper chamber in a bid to help fight insecurity and purchase vaccines in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic.
Similarly, the Senate will, tomorrow, debate the report of its joint committees on Petroleum (Upstream, Downstream and Gas) on the Petroleum Industry Bill.
The Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan, disclosed this, yesterday, after the chairman of the panel, Senator Mohammed Sabo (Jigawa South West) submitted the committees’ report.
Lawan said, “We will be considering the report on Thursday. We have today, tomorrow and Thursday to look at the report so that when we consider the report, we will be doing so on the basis of what we have been able to read from this very important report.”
The Senate President urged the Joint Committee to provide lawmakers with copies of the bill ahead of its consideration to enable them study its content.
“Let me use the opportunity to thank our Joint Committee for working so hard, selflessly and patriotically to produce the report on the Petroleum Industry Bill.
“This report, a copy each, must be made available to each and every senator today, this afternoon.
“I don’t know how the committee would arrange it, but every senator must have a copy today.
“And we would be considering the report on Thursday.
“So, we have today, tomorrow until the beginning of Thursday to look at the report so that when we consider it, we will be doing so on the basis of what we have been able to read from this very important report,” Lawan said.
The bill seeks to establish a framework for the creation of commercially-oriented and profit-driven petroleum entities, to ensure value addition and internationalisation of the petroleum industry, through the creation of efficient and effective governing institutions with clear and separate roles for the petroleum industry.
The bill is the first in a series of long awaited petroleum industry laws designed to reform the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
The PIB, an omnibus law meant to regulate the entire sphere of the industry and repeal all current existing oil and gas legislation, had struggled to see the light of day ins spite of its introduction to the National Assembly over 16 years ago.
Subsequently, the National Assembly decided to break the PIB into a number of different pieces of legislation guiding specific aspects of the industry.
Senate also at plenary considered for first reading, five bills.
The bills are, Recovery of Premises Act 1995 repeal and re-enactment Bill 2021, sponsored by Sen.Odey Stephen (PDP Cross -River); Federal University of Technology Akwa Ibom Establishment Bill, 2021 by Sen. Akpan Bassey (PDP Akwa Ibom); Federal University of Technology Jigawa Establishment Bill, 2021 by Sen.Mohammed Sabo (APC-Jigawa).
Others are, Mortage Institutions and Allied Matters Act Amendment Bill, 2021 by Sen.Ibikunle Amosu (APC-Ogun); and National Research and Innovation Council Establishment Bill, 2021 by Sen.Ibezim Chukwuma (APC-Imo).
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that peace has prevailed because he draws strength from God to resist insults and tantrums thrown at him while frustrating attempts by some disgruntled persons who wanted to plunge the State into unending crisis.
The Governor also said that because he has anchored his Government on promoting peace, the enabling atmosphere has been provided for investments and sustainable development to flourish.
Governor Fubara made the assertion when he received a delegation of members of the Bishops and Gospel Ministers’ Association International Incorporated, Rivers State Chapter, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Represented by the Head of Rivers State Civil Service, Dr George Nwaeke, Governor Fubara said while most people took his meekness for weakness, his stance on peace has unarguably enhanced harmonious atmosphere of concord as residents sleep with their two eyes closed, and investors and shareholders are happy with the returns on investment.
He said, “Before, what they hear of Rivers State is that they are fighting, and some genuine investors will not come. Some people even ask you: How are you coping in Rivers State?
“But now”, he asserted: “The Governor has brought about a lot of changes in the State. One of the most important things is that he has changed the negative narrative. It is no longer Rivers of blood. It is now Rivers of peace.
“We are enjoying our lives here. Why? Because there is a change in the narrative. We have peace. The Governor is, as much as possible, absorbing any level of insult at him only for one purpose: that Rivers State may have peace; that we may grow; that this state will experience genuine development.”
Governor Fubara urged them, as members of the Christian family in the State, to continue to pray for the State and the Government so that the enemies of the State will be put to greater shame.
“This peace is what I want you to embrace. Go and continue to pray, because when the sower of the seed went and sowed, the enemy went in the night and sowed tares inside there. But the Governor is sowing peace.
“When I listened to the leader of the team, His Grace Eddy Ogbonda, he said you came all the way from Eleme Junction, and stopped at major junctions, and you uttered prayers for the peace of Rivers State.”
He also said: “I, hereby want to thank you for identifying with the Governor at a time like this. At a time when it looks as if someone wants the Governor’s peace posture misunderstood as weakness.
“When someone has the strength to fight back, but refuses to fight back. That is a bigger strength; that power of restrain does not just come, it can only come from God.
“You cannot give peace, if you do not have peace within you. The Governor is not interested in any form of trouble or violence. What he is interested in is known, and it is: let there be peace in Rivers State,” he said.
In his address, leader of the group, Archbishop Eddy Ogbonda, said they had observed a week-long intensive prayers that culminated into a peace rally, which brought them to Government House, and assured the Governor that God will continue to give him victory over his adversaries while preserving Rivers State.
“It is Rivers State Prophetic Prayer Convocation and Rally 2024 with the theme: ‘Peace be still’. Of a truth, everyone of us understands that we live in a time when we need peace much more than any other thing.
“Rivers State needs peace. Everyone as individuals need peace. The country needs peace, and the world at large needs peace. So, we are here to do a peace march. We pray that God will command His peace to reign in Rivers State,” he said.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has stated that hotels, schools, and other establishments that accept payments in dollars from their customers are at risk of facing arrest.
The Chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, said this in the agency’s publication called EFCC Alert on Monday, adding that action would be taken against individuals involved in the dollarisation of the economy.
According to him, the exception is if foreigners come in to transact business and the only means of transacting is their credit card and dollar but to charge local customers in dollars or other foreign currencies would no longer be allowed.
He said charging local activities and customers in dollars is against Nigeria’s constitution.
The EFCC chairman said, “Schools that charge Nigerians in dollar, supermarkets that trade in dollar, estate developers that sell their property in dollar, hotels that are invoicing in dollar, we are coming after you and we have made arrests in that area.
“Yes, if foreigners are coming in and the only means of transacting is their credit card, and dollar, why not? You will get that.
“But document it properly as against selling things within the system, local economy and you will be using dollar as the medium of exchange, it is illegal.
“Our law does not allow for that. And we have also affected some arrests.”
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has enjoined Muslim faithful to remain steadfast to the lessons learnt during the holy month of Ramadan.
Governor Fubara stated this in his message of felicitations to Muslims as they celebrate the 2024 Eid-el-Fitr Sallah, which marks the end of the one-month Ramadan fasting.
The Governor emphasised the importance for Muslims to also uphold the tenets of Islam by exhibiting the fear of God and showing piety in their daily work.
Governor Fubara said, “We must all continue in the good attributes imbibed during the holy month of Ramadan as directed by God through His Prophet, so as to ensure peace, unity and harmony in the society for a better future.”
While praying that the essence of the festival offers them happiness, peace and prosperity in all aspects of life, Governor Fubara said he recognises and appreciates the critical role that the Muslim community continues to play in the development of Rivers State, and indeed, Nigeria at large.
Governor Fubara charged them to remain unwavering and steadfast in their commitment and positive contributions to advance the development of the State and the country.
“I enjoin you all in the State to remain calm, be patient and continue to do what is right,” the Governor added.
He wished the Muslim faithful in the State and across the country a happy Eid-el-Fitr celebration.
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