Law makers slow down passage of PIB Bill

The Petroleum Industry Bill will not be passed before the end of the current federal legislative session, a member of the House of Representatives said yesterday.

Speaking with rare candour, but on the condition of anonymity, the lawmaker who is well-informed on the house plans, yesterday said he was "afraid" the voluminous legislation, expected to turn around the petroleum sector, would not go through a third reading before the June 4 exit date.

"I am afraid if that bill will pass," the member said, when asked for his sincere opinion about the document. He added that all ongoing effort on the bill are a "waste of legislative time."

At a separate interview, Mohammed Ndume, the former house minority leader, also said he does not believe the bill would be passed. However, he added that, the house is "continuous", thus hinting that the bill might transcend to the incoming session.

A transfer of the bill to the seventh session in both chambers would ordinarily imply a restart of its consideration, but a recent amendment of the senate rule means work can continue on it from where the present assembly stopped. The house of representatives has, however not amended its rules regarding this.

Promoters of the bill said the complex 406-claused document, if carried over, may face renewed delay due to the large number of new members coming to the senate and the house after the April parliamentary elections.

The revelation by the lawmakers predicts gloom for the future of the legislation which has struggled through a sluggish lawmaking process, since it was first introduced to the senate and the house by the administration of the late President Umaru Yar'adua.

Despite repeated assurances from the leadership of both chambers that the bill will be delivered before the end of session, the lawmakers' drive to passing it before they wind down has been anything but forceful.

Long before the April elections, committee work at both chambers had produced the large number of clauses to combine about 14 existing petroleum and gas laws into a concise document. The new legislation is expected to raise Nigeria's oil gains without compromising profit, while fostering a coherent package for the producing areas.

After several rescheduling, the house in a new feat, managed through more than 100 clauses on Wednesday, but suspended further work after listing the document bill for consideration on Thursday.

The Senate's effort has been more dismal, as they had adopted only eight clauses by yesterday.

On Thursday, the house gave no reason for stepping it down, while the senate blamed its deferment on the absence of the chairman of the Committee on Gas and Petroleum Resources, Lee Maeba, who had earlier been in the chamber.

The document will now be considered next week, the senate said. Chances are this will not happen, as most of its three sessions next week are expected to be valedictory.