By Emmanuel Addeh
The President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, has stated that the National Assembly would pass the much-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) before the end of this month (June).
Speaking yesterday at the opening session of the 2021 Nigeria International Petroleum Summit (NIPS) in Abuja, Lawan disclosed that the federal lawmakers would soon conclude legislative work on the oil reform bill.
“In our legislative agenda for 2019-2023 in the ninth Assembly we decided that we must have a better way. We found out that neither the solo effort of the executive nor the solo effort of the legislature could deliver the PIB in the past.
“We now have a better cooperative approach where the National Assembly will work with the administration to conceive the bill through very rigorous consultations and at the end of the day we narrowed down our differences and areas of potential conflict.”
“I think we have been able to achieve that significantly. The speed and commitment the National Assembly has shown in working on the PIB and reaching where we are today shows that we have chosen the right path.
“As I speak, our joint committee of both Senate and the House on the PIB are about to conclude writing the report which will be submitted to both chambers of the National Assembly. Our expectation is that we will pass the PIB within this month of June by the grace of God,” Lawan explained.
