The likelihood of a passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) by the National Assembly remains shaky with barely a week to the end of the current lawmaking session.
As of Thursday, the House of Representatives only managed through eight clauses of the two-year-old, 406-claused legislation while the senate’s consideration, scheduled for the same day, did not materialise. This has raised the possibility that the multimillion naira process will be restarted when new lawmakers resume in June.
The bill, a voluminous set of new rules, is expected to expand Nigeria’s gains from oil wealth, while fostering a coherent package for the oil-producing areas.
Current rules in both chambers bar the continuance of bills originated in a previous legislative session, stipulating by implication, a mandatory passage within the four-year term. Lawmakers have said the order may be reviewed to allow transfer of uncompleted cases, and the senate last week kicked off a process of amendment signalling the possibility the long-awaited bill may not be delivered before June 4.
So much to do
“Our rules have no problem,” said Ita Enang, the chairman house committee on Business and Rules, adding a strange optimism. “We will do all our work, and I doubt if the PIB will go into the seventh assembly.” Even if the Senate were to complete work on at least four major federal bills it promised to complete before the June 4 exit of the current legislative session, these might not become law due to the ongoing squabbles in the House of Representatives over members’ pay and the zoning of its next leadership.
Work on the Petroleum Industry Bill, the Sovereign Wealth Bill, the Anti-terrorism and Anti-Money Laundering Bills and the long-standing Freedom of Information Bill, remain inconclusive. The Sovereign Wealth Bill and the FOI Bill, both passed, still require a harmonisation by both chambers.
An attempt to consider the PIB on Wednesday was forced back in the House, while the Senate merely listed it without mention. Discussions of the bill, yesterday, took a sour and yet dramatic turn in the House with members agitating either for delay of the bill or complete suspension.
“As far as I am concerned, government is a continuum and this bill does not have to be passed by this session. It can be moved forward,” said Sani Minjibir, the chairman of the House Ethics and Privileges.