Niger Assembly Passes Hydrocarbon and Minerals Devt Agency Bill

Laleye Dipo in Minna

The Niger State House of Assembly has passed into law the establishment of the Hydrocarbon and Minerals Development Agency bill.

This is just as a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) member of the satate House of Assembly defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).  The bill was passed after the chairman of the Assembly Committee on the  Environment and Climate Change, Minerals Resources, Power, and Renewable Energy, Alhaji Mohammed Nura Garba, presented its report to the committee of the whole.

In the report, the committee enumerated the benefits of the proposed Bill, including encouraging investments in the hydrocarbon sector, promoting economic growth through hydrocarbon and minerals development, enhancing environmental management and protection, and ensuring revenue generation for the state through hydrocarbon activities.

When the bill was put all the lawmakers voted for its passage overwhelmingly after which the Speaker, Alhaji Abdulmalik Sarkinkaji, directed the clerk of the Assembly to prepare a clean copy of the document for presentation to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago for his assent.

Also yesterday, the Speaker read a letter from Ndagi Zakari Kinbokun, member representing Mokwa constituency and Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Sports Development defecting from the PDP to the APC.

The Speaker, after reading the letter, described the defection a major boost to the APC’s strength in the state, and demonstrates the party’s growing appeal to lawmakers and constituents alike.