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Senate Begins Phased PIB Debate …Denies Working Against Buhari
Finally, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel for the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) as the Senate has commenced batch-by-batch consideration and passage of the Bill with the first batch scaling through second reading.
The first batch of the bill read a second time basically spells out the governance and industrial framework for the Nigeria’s oil industry while the second batch, according to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, would deal with the host community funds and other financial components of the Bill.
The bill sponsored by Senator Donald Alasoaudura is titled, “A Bill For An Act To Provide For The Governance And Institutional Framework For The Petroleum Industry And For Other Related Matters 2016”, and is co-sponsored by 28 senators.
In his lead debate, Alasoaudura said the objective was to create an efficient and effective governing institution with clear and separate roles for the petroleum industry.
Alasoaudura said the bill seeks to establish a framework for the creation of commercially-oriented and profit-driven petroleum entities that ensures value addition and internationalization of the petroleum industry, and when passed, will ensure transparency and accountability in the administration of Nigeria’s petroleum resources; and foster a conducive business environment for petroleum industry operations.
In his contribution, Senator James Manager, noted that oil discovery in the Niger Delta has been a blessing to the world, and Nigeria in particular, but a curse to the people of the region.
He pointed out that the region tells only story of devastation and exploitation, and lamented that the golden hen that lays the golden eggs should not be taken for granted, hence the need for the 10 per cent revenue allocation for oil host communities.
Manager urged his colleagues to overlook the primordial sentiments that frustrated the passage of the bill since it was first introduced in the Sixth Senate, even as he commended the Senate leadership for the decision to split the bill into batches.
Senator Barnabas Gemade said the oil producing countries have robust, efficient and effective legislations guarding the operations within the individual countries, and hoped that the bill will redress the anomaly.
“And this has been to their advantage but Nigeria has become an exception, and we have seen the adverse effects of lack of proper legislation to guide the petroleum industry in this country.
“Every investor wants to know what is happening legally within the environment it wants to invest. It wants to know the dos and don’ts, it wants to know the opportunities because you can calculate the opportunities, you can’t calculate the risks if you don’t know what is happening legally within a given system, like what is obtainable in our petroleum industry as we speak”, he said.
Provisions of the bill include that NNPC be split into two companies; the Nigeria Petroleum Assets Management Company (NPAM) and a National Oil Company (NOC).
According to the bill, NOC will be an “integrated oil and gas company operating as a fully commercial entity”, and will run like a private company.
The company will as well keep its revenues, deduct costs directly and pay dividends to the government, thereby putting an end to the era of waiting for federal allocation for funding and always failing to meet cash call obligations.
President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, had announced the immediate need for the consideration of the batch providing for the host community funding.
His words, “Before we proceed into the finalization of this part of the bill, the committee must come with a bill regarding the issue of the host communities for discussion. And I think that that can be done within the next four weeks before we come back for clause-by-clause consideration of the bill.
“We must bring the bill here on community issues and frontiers so that we can also pass it into second reading and commit it to the committee. I think it would be fair to create an understanding that the purpose of this bill is to send the message that truly, as a Senate, we are committed to ensuring that we create that enabling environment for this sector”.
The bill was later referred to Senate Committees on Petroleum (Upstream and Downstream) and that of Gas for more legislative inputs within the next four weeks.
Meanwhile, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has debunked reports in some quarters that it may have been working against the interest of the Presidency.
Leader of the Senate, Aliyu Ndume, made this remark on behalf of the Senate yesterday while reacting to a newspaper publication.
In the said publication, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Barr Udo Udoma, was quoted as saying the Senate should be held responsible for the failure to meet October target for the consideration of 2017 budget.
Citing Order 42, 52 and 15 of the Senate standing rules, the leader said the minister has been invited to appear before him to throw more light on the document he submitted relating to the 2017 budget but he failed to appear.
“In this Senate, we have the opposition that is cooperating with us. We are also the majority who make the government, so we are not working against the government”, the Senate leader added.
On his part, the Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East, Albert Bassey, said he had personally confronted the minister, who is his own “brother” and that he denied making such remarks, adding that he was quoted out of context by the media.
In his ruling, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki also confirmed that he got across to the minister as soon as he saw the said publication and he (minister) did promise to retract the statement through subsequent publications.
He, however, cautioned both the executive and the legislature not to go into blame game but work towards nation building.
Saraki, therefore, assured the Presidency that the Senate would commence considerations of the budget as soon as the document required is provided by the minister.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja
Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) of his administration’s commitment to supporting and strengthening the scheme in the State.
Fubara gave the assurance last Friday at the NYSC permanent orientation camp, Nonwa-Gbam, Tai Local Government Area in the State, during the swearing-in ceremony of 2026 Batch B Stream II orientation course.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Bureau, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Promise Oguzie, the governor said the State Government would remain intentional in providing the necessary support to improve the NYSC scheme and enhance the experiences of corps members deployed to the state.
He charged the corps members to be role models and quality nation-builders in their service to the good people of Rivers State in particular, and Nigeria at large.
“I charge you to be exemplary, dedicated and committed in all you do. Take full advantage of all the camp programmes and activities to enrich yourselves”, he said.
In his welcome address, the State Coordinator of NYSC in Rivers State, Mr. Moses Oleghe, urged corps members to see their deployment to Rivers State as a “veritable opportunity to make meaningful contribution to the growth of the State in particular and Nigeria at large.”
He further charged them to serve with all sense of “integrity, discipline, and the fear of God, especially when they will be engaged as INEC ad-hoc staff that will conduct the 2027 general elections.”
A total of 3,584 corps members composed of 1,421 males and 2,163 females were sworn in by the Chief Judge of Rivers State, who was represented by Justice Godspower Aguma.
Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, says Nigeria needs God-fearing leaders for the nation to move in the right direction and make meaningful progress.
The Governor stated this yesterday when he received in audience, the World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler; his wife, Andriene Marques Kohler; daughter Mariana Marques Kohler and a retinue of ministers of the church at Government House, Port Harcourt.
Fubara who hailed the Seventh Day Adventist Church for its contributions to education and the grooming of future leaders in Nigeria, expressed delight that the Church had over the years, been investing in education at various levels and currently runs two universities in the country.
He commended the church for not only using its institutions to spread the gospel of Christianity but to groom future leaders for the country.
According to him, religion should not be just about defending one’s faith, but also making meaningful impact on the lives of the people.
He said that by floating these educational institutions, the church has demonstrated capacity to support Nigeria in the task of producing not only educated people but a breed of God-fearing leaders.
“Our country is where it is today because we lack the fear of God. If you have the fear of God, there should be a limit to what you can do because you understand the supremacy of God. But when God is not in your equation, you’ll go beyond the line and that is what has brought us to where we are today.
“So, I feel very happy that you are contributing to the development of our future leaders in this country. We need the right people being in the right place; prepared properly with good minds; that is what we need, not just in Nigeria but round the whole world.,” he said.
Governor Fubara further observed that the absence of God-fearing people in high places to take the right decisions that could impact positively on the society, has also given rise to other problems such as social inequality, poverty, corruption and criminality. According to him, Nigeria needs a system where the average parent could afford quality education for their children and a guarantee that upon graduation, the average child will have the capacity to compete favourably with anybody, anywhere in the world.
“If we have a situation where the little money that you’re being paid as wage can also afford you quality healthcare and after working at least for 15-20 years, you have a roof over your head, tell me why you should be involved in any kind of crime? At that point, you’ll feel secured and this attitude of insecurity about the future that leads to all the social vices we have today won’t be there,” he said.
Governor Fubara expressed appreciation to the delegation for the visit and for their prayers for Rivers State, assuring them of his continued support for their programmes in the state.
Leader of the delegation and World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler said he was in Nigeria for a special conference of the church during which thousands of the church’s ministers will be undergoing an empowerment programme to further equip them for the task of herding their flocks and serving the society.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for the warm reception accorded his entourage, saying the memory of the visit will linger in his mind for a lifetime.
Kohler disclosed that the Church has over twenty -four million (24,000,000) members and more than 182,000 places of worship, spread across 212 countries of the world.
The Rivers State House of Assembly has approved the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
This reaffirms the lawmakers’ commitment to enacting laws and taking legislative actions geared towards the overall development of the State.
The Assembly gave the approval during its Second Legislative Sitting of the Fourth Session held last Friday.
Speaking on the MTEF document during plenary, the House Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, noted that by the provision of Section 10(1)(b) of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law No. 8 of 2010, the MTEF ought to have been laid before the House in September 2025.
Amaewhule explained that traditionally, the document is expected to be presented four months before the commencement of the next financial year and immediately after the expiration of every three-year fiscal cycle.
He, however, stated that in the interest of the State and its people, the House considered it necessary to deliberate on the document, describing it as a precursor to the 2026 Budget Estimates.
The Speaker expressed concern that the year had already progressed significantly before the presentation of the framework.
During deliberations on the document, members examined the assumptions and projections contained in the MTEF and observed that strict adherence to the outlined fiscal parameters would ultimately serve the interest of Rivers people.
The lawmakers maintained that effective implementation of the framework would promote prudent financial management and enhance developmental planning across the State.
Following the debate and positive consideration by members, the Speaker put the question to the House and members voted overwhelmingly in support of the approval of the MTEF.
Meanwhile, during the same sitting last Friday, the House also received a petition from the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Dr. Gift Worlu.
The petition was presented by the member representing Obio/Akpor Constituency II, Hon. Emilia Amadi.
According to the petition, concerns were raised over an imminent security breach, threats to lives, destruction of property and alleged forceful takeover of property by some lawless persons within parts of the Local Government Area.
Presenting the petition before the House, Hon. Amadi appealed to the lawmakers to revisit the matter and take necessary steps aimed at safeguarding lives and property in the affected communities.
The House is expected to further deliberate on the petition and consider measures to address the concerns raised in order to sustain peace and security in the area.
King Onunwor
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