Headlines

Senate passes Petroleum Industry Bill

Published

4 years ago

July 1, 2021

The Senate has passed the long-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB.

This followed approval of recommendations of the report of the Senate Joint Committee on Petroleum, (Downstream,) Petroleum (Upstream) and Gas at plenary on Thursday.
Presenting the report, Chairman of the committee, Mohammmed Sabo (APC-Jigawa), said the bill consisted of five distinct and logically connected chapters.
Sabo listed the chapters to include governance and institutions, administration, host communities development, petroleum industry fiscal framework and miscellaneous provisions, comprising 319 clauses and eight schedules.
He said the committee carried out its assignment effectively and conducted a public hearing to collate inputs from critical stakeholders and the Nigerian people.
Sabo said the committee reviewed the bill and all the memoranda submitted by stakeholders during the public hearing adding that the committee also embarked on on-the-spot assessments of impacted oil exploration communities.
This, he said was to critically examine issues raised by Senators during the second reading of the bill and consulted widely on the justifications for passing the bill into Law.
Sabo said the bill when passed into law “will strengthen accountability and transparency of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) Ltd as a full-fledged CAMA company under statutory and regulatory oversight with better returns to its shareholders and the Nigerian People’’.
On the Frontier Basins, he said the committee’s recommendation recognised the need for the country to explore and develop the country’s frontier basins.
This, he said was to take advantage of the foreseeable threats to the funding of fossil fuel projects across the world due to speedy shift from fossil fuel-to other alternative energy sources.
“To this end, the committee recommends funding mechanism of 30 per cent of NNPC Ltd profit oil and profit gas as in the production sharing, profit sharing, and risk service contracts to fund exploration of frontier basins,” Sabo said.

On host communities’ development, he said` `to ensure adequate development of the host communities and reduction in the cost of production, the Joint Committee recommends five per cent of the actual annual operating expenditure of the preceding financial year in the upstream petroleum operations affecting the host communities for funding of the Host Communities Trust Fund”.

According to him, in the past 10 years, the country has only attracted less than five per cent of the over 100 billion dollars capital investment inflow into Africa’s oil and gas industry.

He added that all stakeholders were in total support of the passage of the bill as there was no dissenting voice opposing its passage.

He described the bill as laudable and commendable saying that its passage would bring the long awaited change in the oil and gas industry.

However, Ahmed Baba Kaita (APC-Kastina) moved a motion for the reduction of funding of host community trust fund to 3 per cent as against the 5 per cent earlier recommended by the committee.

The motion which was adopted, resulted to dissenting views by senators James Manager(PDP-Delta),Bassey Akpan(PDP-Cross-River), George Sekibo(PDP-Rivers) among others.

Sekibo, having cited order 17 of the Senate rule called for division to contest the decision to reduce funding of host community trust fund to 3 per cent.

However, Leader of the Senate, Abdullahi Yahaya (APC- Kebbi) said the call for division was not in the interest of the Senate and the nation, describing the situation as heading for “Armageddon.”
He called for a withdrawal of the call for a division in the Senate, saying that the senate in its two years of existence had worked in a peaceful and a bipartisan manner.
Manager urged the Senate to increase the funding for host community trust fund given the economic contributions of the people of Niger-Delta over the years.
According to him, no amount is too small for the people of the region.
President of Senate, Ahmad Lawan, prevailed on George Sekibo to rescind his earlier call for division.
“The Senate expects President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the PIB after harmonisation with the House of Representatives,” he said.

Our correspondent report that the bill was the first in a series of long awaited petroleum industry laws designed to reform the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
The PIB is an omnibus law, meant to regulate the entire sphere of the industry and repeal all current existing oil and gas legislation.
It struggled to see the light of day in spite of its introduction to the National Assembly over 16 years ago.

NAN

Headlines

Akwa Ibom APC Gears Up to Receive President Tinubu as Governor Umo Eno Joins Party

Published

2 weeks ago

June 20, 2025

Matthew Eloyi

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has announced its readiness to host President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other top party leaders as it officially welcomes Governor Umo Eno into its ranks.

Speaking at a press briefing in Uyo on Friday, APC chieftain and former presidential aide, Senator Ita Enang, disclosed that the party was fully prepared to receive the president, Vice President Kashim Shettima, APC National Chairman, and governors elected on the party’s platform for the historic reception.

Governor Umo Eno had on June 6 formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, in a move widely described as a political game-changer in Akwa Ibom.

Enang, a former Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly and Niger Delta Affairs, said the governor’s defection had effectively aligned the state with the central government.

He assured Governor Eno and his supporters that the APC would embrace them wholeheartedly and honour all agreements reached.

“As progressives, we shall work with the governor and his supporters to ensure that they fit into the party without hitches,” Enang stated. “We will also work with them to align programmes of the state government with the ideals and manifesto of the party.”

He further described the governor’s move as a “merger” that promises significant benefits for Akwa Ibom and its citizens.

The planned reception is expected to mark a major political event in the state, signaling a realignment of forces ahead of future elections.

Headlines

Ekiti Launches Aggressive Anti-Flood Campaign, Dredges Ofigba River

Published

2 weeks ago

June 20, 2025

Matthew Eloyi

The Ekiti State Government has intensified efforts to prevent flooding across the state with the launch of a comprehensive dredging campaign, targeting critical waterways in both rural and urban areas.

Chairman of the Ekiti State Environmental Protection Agency (EKSEPA), Chief Bamitale Oguntoyinbo, disclosed this on Friday during an inspection visit to the ongoing dredging project at the Ofigba River in Ise-Ekiti.

Oguntoyinbo, who was accompanied by EKSEPA board members, said the visit was to assess the progress of work being carried out to mitigate flood risks in the community. He expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of the dredging work.

“I and other board members of EKSEPA are delighted with the level of job done by the site engineer because he is actually working with the directives of three-kilometer dredging of waterways,” he said.

According to him, the dredging commenced on June 4, and so far, 1.8 kilometers of the river have been successfully cleared.

He applauded Governor Biodun Oyebanji for prioritizing the safety and welfare of residents by initiating the state-wide anti-flooding campaign.

“I want to commend our amiable governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, for embarking on zero tolerance campaign against flooding in every community and town in Ekiti,” Oguntoyinbo stated.

He also praised the General Manager of EKSEPA, Mr. Olukayode Adunmo, for his commitment to the project’s supervision and success.

In his remarks, Adunmo emphasized the urgent need to clear waterways choked by refuse, which impede water flow and contribute to flooding during the rainy season.

“Dredging of Ofigba River in Ise-Ekiti in Ise/Orun Local Government Area is necessary because some of the waterways have been blocked by refuse,” he explained. “There is the need for us to remove every blockage to enhance free flow of water and avert flooding during heavy rainfall.”

Adunmo also commended Governor Oyebanji for taking proactive steps to protect lives and properties across the state.

Residents of Ise-Ekiti have welcomed the government’s intervention. Chief Godwin Ojo, a community leader, expressed gratitude to the governor for his timely action.

“We thank the governor for the move to avert flooding in our community,” Ojo said. “May God grant him more wisdom to pilot the affairs of the state to an enviable height.”

The dredging campaign forms part of the Oyebanji administration’s broader commitment to environmental safety and disaster prevention.

Developmental

Tinubu to visit Kaduna Thursday to inaugurate key projects

Published

2 weeks ago

June 19, 2025

Saadatu Sahabo

Tinubu commiserates with Akwa Ibom governor over wife’s death

President Bola Tinubu is expected in Kaduna State Today Thursday for the inauguration of several key developmental projects executed by the administration of Gov. Uba Sani.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the visit forms part of activities marking Sani’s two years in office.

The projects lined up for inauguration include the 300-bed Specialist Hospital in Millennium City, Kaduna, built by the state government to bolster the provision of healthcare services.

Tinubu will also inaugurate the Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development in Rigachikun, road projects in Soba, and Samaru Kataf LGA’S as well as the 24-kilometre Kafanchan Township Road.

Others are the Tudun Biri Road, the 22km road linking Kauru and Kubau LGAs as well as the Vocational and Skills Training Centre in Tudun Biri.

Tinubu is also expected to unveil 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, as part of efforts to modernise the state’s public transportation system.

The projects are part of the administration’s focus on infrastructurde evelopment, healthcare delivery, youths empowerment, and economic growth.

The state government described the visit as a significant moment for the people of Kaduna and an opportunity to showcase ongoing efforts to transform the state through impactful governance.

Sani, who marked his second year in office this month, has prioritised human capital development, rural infrastructure, and jobs creation since taking office in 2023.

Tinubu’s visit to Kaduna State was rescheduled from Wednesday to Thursday.

He was initially supposed to visit Kaduna on Wednesday, but due to the recent attacks in Benue, he shifted his trip.

The president visited Benue on Wednesday to commiserate with the victims of the recent attacks and assess the humanitarian crisis.

During his visit to Benue, Tinubu met with stakeholders, including traditional rulers, political and community leaders, and youth groups, to seek lasting solutions to the hostilities.

He also condemned the ongoing violence and called on the residents to embrace peace and mutual understanding.

NAN recalls that the Benue Government had declared a work-free day for Tinubu’s visit, urging the residents to turn out in large numbers to welcome him.