Bayelsa to lobby against Petroleum Industry Bill

NAN
July 29, 2009 11:31PMT


The Bayelsa State House of Assembly on Wednesday said it would embark on a campaign to lobby the five State Houses of Assembly in the Niger Delta region to reject the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill.

It will be recalled that Petroleum Minister Rilwanu Lukman had while speaking at the Senate public hearing on the bill in Abuja, said that the bill would ensure transparency in the oil and gas sector.

“The bill is in the best interest of Nigerians and the people living in the oil producing areas contrary to speculation in some quarters,” he said.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream) Lee Maeba, said that the bill was coming at a time when obsolete laws in the sector should be repealed.

He noted that all memoranda received during the hearing would be treated equally and urged members of the public and other stakeholders who still had memoranda to present to the committee to do so.

But the Deputy Speaker, Nestor Binabo, who led other lawmakers in a debate after the House resumed from a two weeks recess, warned that the Bill was capable of “thwarting” the peace efforts in the region.

Most of the members agreed that the supporting roles of the various assemblies in the region would reduce the noticeable lukewarm attitude of Ministers and Senators from the region.

Contributing, Jonathan Obuebite, representing Nembe I Constituency, alleged that the Bill was a deliberate move to further marginalise the people of the Niger Delta. “It will be against the principles of fair play, equity and natural justice,” he said.

Other members called on elected and political office holders from the region to show signs of concern and support for issues affecting the people of the region rather than adopting a lukewarm attitude due to selfish political considerations.


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Reader Comments (3)


Posted by asita asuei (onisokasuein@aol.com) on Jul 30 2009

pls i want you to pls make the copy of the bill to be available on this page thanks


Posted by SB Adamu on Jul 30 2009

I am of the same opinion with the first comment. We do not know the content of the bill, so we are blind to the raging arguments. Please avail us with the copy of the bill on line. Thanks.


Posted by ibrahim Dikko, Scotland. on Jul 30 2009

I need to say that the Americans could not continue with the debate on the Law on extractive and explorative industries (Of which the Oil and Gas industries are just a part) because of the lobby groups that became so powerful which each one protecting its interest. In the UK, the IAS, IFRS 6 (Accounting Standards for explorative and extrative industries), were amoung the most debated accounting reporting standards that by all standards of the formation of all IFRSs and IASs received the highest number of lobbyist. By this, i will not be surprise if the Petroluem Bill become a reason for the house various interest groups, the various community that are blessed by petroluem and those without, the explorative industry and extrative industry in this area form powerful lobby group to derail the passing of this bill. The government should form its own lobby group so that the bill can be passed as they want in a manner that they can defend. The bottomline should be if the general interest of its citizens are well cartered for. As for the call that Alhaji Lukman should vacate the Position of Minister of Petroluem, this call is long overdue. Time has pass and his generation should be in retirement. Please Lukman, do the honourable thing. Resign.


Source:http://www.234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5440270-147/Bayelsa_to_lobby_against_Petroleum_Industry.csp