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Sign Of Hope As Reps Pass PIGB

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At last, the House of Representatives last Wednesday passed the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), which provides for the governance and institutional framework for the petroleum industry and for other related matters, after third reading.
The 13-year old 191-page bill (a segment of the entire bill), seeks to unbundle the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), provides for the establishment of Federal Ministry of Petroleum Incorporated, Nigerian Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Nigerian Petroleum Assets Management Company and National Petroleum Company and Petroleum Equalisation Fund.
Deputy Chairman, Ad-Hoc Committee on Petroleum Industry Bills, Victor Nwokolo (PDP, Delta), who led the debate on the report, explained that the regulatory bill will balkanise NNPC and create National Petroleum Commission which will take over the functions of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).
He explained that some subsidiaries of the NNPC had also been merged into an entity to be known as the Nigerian Petroleum Regulatory Commission.
According to him, the House Committee adopted the Senate’s version of the PIGB.
When the bill was announced for consideration at the Committee of the Whole, only 30 members of the House of Representatives considered and passed the PIGB within 23 minutes (2:19p.m., to 2:42p.m).
Copies of the 191-page PIGB report, which was laid on resumption from Christmas/New Year recess, last Tuesday, was slated for consideration within 24 hours.
Many of the lawmakers had no clean copies to read for a robust debate.
The bill is just a fragment of the entire bill as this aspect is just the regulatory framework.
The bill further provides that “Upon the recommendations of the new commission, the Minister of Petroleum Resources can grant, amend, renew, extend or revoke any licence or lease required for petroleum or production, pursuant to the provisions of the Act or any other enactment.”
The power for issuing and revoking licences was also domiciled in the commission, as well as allocating petroleum production quotas in a non-discriminatory manner.
The commission is also empowered to advise the minister on fiscal and other issues pertaining to the petroleum industry, establish framework for the validation and certification of national hydrocarbon reserves, undertake evaluation of national reserves and reservoir management studies as well as conduct regular audits of the activities of operators engaged in petroleum operations and oil service companies in order to ensure compliance with Nigerian laws and requirements for petroleum operations.

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Why Wike Is Playing God In Rivers -Asari Dokubo

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A former Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo, has claimed that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is “playing god” in the current political crisis that has pitched him against the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
Dokubo also chided President Bola Tinubu for, according to him, handing over “Rivers and Bayelsa” to the ex-governor.
“He is now playing god. It is dead on arrival, all those things that he is doing,” Dokubo said in a video that surfaced on X.com on Monday.
He added, “I advise my friend, President Bola Tinubu; what you are doing to all Ijaw, Ikwerre people in Rivers State (sic). You took Rivers state and gave it one man”
In April, Fubara revealed that the administration has raised the monthly Internally Generated Revenue of the state from N12 billion which he met upon assumption of office to N27 billion.
Dokubo described the development as commendable while alleging that the governor only had access to N6 billion when he assumed office.
“The governor had come out to say that the IGR for Rivers State is now N27bn up from N12bn. The governor is even being economical with the truth. When the governor came in, they were giving him a paltry sum of N6bn,” he said.
Meanwhile, in another twist to the ongoing crisis, Fubara on Monday said that he would set up a panel of inquiry to look into the affairs of governance in the state.
He disclosed this during the swearing-in and administration of the oath of office on Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, as the Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice.
The governor criticized recent comments by the former Attorney-General of the State and Justice Commissioner, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, SAN, who resigned from his cabinet over a fortnight ago and urged the new Attorney-General to defend the state.
He stated, “It is not the one that while you were here… the only thing you do is to sabotage the government.
“Instead of you to close your mouth, you publicly claim that you’re a learned person to tell people that you’re the Chief Law Officer. Chief Law Officer, you were here and went to stand before a Magistrate Court.
“At that time you didn’t remember that you’re a Chief Law Officer going against the ethics of your job.”

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Investors, Tourists To Get Visa Within 48 Hours, FG Assures

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The Federal Executive Council chaired by President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a tripartite committee to streamline visa processes and acquisition for investors interested in investing in Nigeria.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, revealed this, yesterday, after the FEC meeting held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“Our visa processes are becoming cumbersome. The ease of doing business is also tied to our visa processes.
“Going forward, those investors, tourists would find it easy to acquire a visa within the next 48 hours,” Idris said.
The meeting which began on Monday was adjourned till Tuesday to allow for other “far-reaching” decisions, the information minister had told journalists.

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Panel To Probe Governance In Rivers Underway -Fubara …Swears In Iboroma As New Attorney-General

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Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared his readiness to set up a panel of inquiry to look into the affairs of governance in the state.
Fubara disclosed this during the swearing-in and administration of the oath of office on Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, as the new Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice.
The governor criticised recent comments by the former Attorney-General of the State and Justice Commissioner, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, SAN, who resigned from his cabinet over a fortnight ago and urged the new Attorney-General to defend the state.
Fubara stated, “It is not the one that while you were here… the only thing you do is to sabotage the government.
“Instead of you to close your mouth, you publicly claim that you’re a learned person to tell people that you’re the Chief Law Officer. Chief Law Officer, you were here and went to stand before a Magistrate Court.
“At that time you didn’t remember that you’re a Chief Law Officer going against the ethics of your job.”
Addressing the new AG, the governor said, “You have a big task. As it is today in the local parlance, they say the jungle has matured. We will be setting a panel of inquiry to investigate the affair of governance.”
The governor further said there was a deliberate attempt to sabotage his administration, saying, “If we disagree, no matter how bad it is, it should be resolved.
“But it has become very clear that this disagreement there is no headway to it, and for many reasons, there is very visible evidence that there is sabotage, a deliberate attempt to sabotage this administration.
“Maybe where they are they are telling them nothing will happen, it is happening here live, we have our own legislators that are performing their duties according to the Constitution. So that record is threatened.”

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