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Tag: NASS

  • Lawan: PIB will ensure Nigerians benefit optimally from resources

    Lawan: PIB will ensure Nigerians benefit optimally from resources

    President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has said that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) presently before the National Assembly will ensure that Nigerians benefit optimally from crude oil production and sale of fossil fuel reserves.

    Lawan stated this on Monday while declaring open a 2-day public hearing on the bill by the National Assembly.

    According to the Senate President, the National Assembly in its consideration of the piece of legislation, would ensure that the bill when passed into law, guarantees improved revenue earnings for the country.

    Lawan said, “let me say this, we (National Assembly) will pass this bill not without ensuring that it is a bill that satisfies certain conditions.

    “Nigeria is blessed with these resources, we want Nigeria to benefit optimally from them. In fact, we are in a hurry because we have lost so many years of benefits that we could have had.”

    The Senate President, however, noted that the non-passage of the PIB had been a major drag on the industry over the years, significantly limiting its ability to attract both local and foreign capital at a time when many other countries are scrambling to exploit their oil and gas resources.

    “The mere knowledge that the nation’s oil industry is still being governed by laws enacted more than 50 years ago is ludicrous and extremely disappointing.

    “As legislators, we will strive to deliver a Bill that will enhance the growth of our oil and gas industry, modernize our fiscal system and enhance competitiveness, while creating harmony for all stakeholders. This is a promise we have made and that we shall achieve.

    “Nigeria must have an Oil and Gas Industry that benefits its people. Equally, our Oil and Gas Industry must be competitive. We must create a sustainable investment climate, where business in the sector will flourish,” he said.

    He added that the determination by the legislature to pass the Bill “is driven by the need to overhaul a system that has refused to operate optimally in line with global standards, resulting into loss of continental competiveness, transparency, accountability, good governance and economy loss for the petroleum industry and the country.”

    The Senate President noted that the challenges surrounding the future usefulness of petroleum resources and the increased level of uncertainty on oil demand calls for great concern.

    “It is estimated that with the evolving of new technologies, fossil fuel may be less attractive if not of no value in the next 20 years.

    “It is therefore time for us to make maximum benefit of our fossil fuel reserves through this reform before it fades away,”Lawan stressed.

    According to him, the Petroleum Industry Bill comprises of 4 chapters that outline how to create efficient and effective governing institutions with clear and separate roles for the petroleum industry; establish a framework for the creation of a commercially oriented and profit-driven National Petroleum Company; promote transparency, good governance and accountability in the administration of the petroleum resources of Nigeria among others;

    He added that the piece of legislation among others, also seeks to promote the exploration and exploitation of petroleum resources in Nigeria for the benefit of the Nigerian people; promote the efficient, effective and sustainable development of the petroleum industry;

    According to him, the PIB upon passage and assent into law by the President, would “foster sustainable prosperity within host communities, provide direct social and economic benefits from petroleum operations to host communities; create a framework to support the development of host communities among others; and

    “Establish a progressive fiscal framework that encourages investment in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry, balancing rewards with risk and enhancing revenues to the Federal Government of Nigeria; provide a forward-looking fiscal framework that is based on core principles of clarity, dynamism and fiscal rules of general application; establish a fiscal framework that expands the revenue base of the Federal Government, while ensuring a fair return for investors.”

    Lawan assured that the National Assembly during the public hearing would deal with all issues relating to the oil and gas industry with thoroughness and effectiveness, so as to avert colossal losses to the nation’s economy.

    Signed:

    Ezrel TABIOWO, MBSC, Fsca
    Special Assistant (Press)
    to President of the Senate

  • SERAP asks NASS to stop Buhari from selling govt properties to fund 2021 Budget

    SERAP asks NASS to stop Buhari from selling govt properties to fund 2021 Budget

    The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the National Assembly to stop President Muhammadu Buhari from selling government properties to fund the 2021 budget.

    SERAP in a statement issued on Sunday by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, appealed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and the Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila to bar the President from carrying out such moves via a letter addressed on January 16.

    The group wants the leadership of the National Assembly to “urgently review the 2021 appropriation legislation to stop the government of President Muhammadu Buhari from selling public properties to fund the 2021 budget, and to identify areas in the budget to cut such as salaries and allowances for members and the Presidency to make sayings to address the growing level of deficit and borrowing.”

    “The National Assembly has a constitutional and oversight responsibility to protect valuable public properties and to ensure responsible budget spending. Allowing the government to sell public properties, and to enjoy almost absolute discretion to borrow to fund the 2021 budget would amount to a fundamental breach of constitutional and fiduciary duties.”

    While warning that selling valuable public properties to fund the 2021 budget would be counter-productive, the group said “this would be vulnerable to corruption and mismanagement. It would undermine the social contract with Nigerians, leave the government worse off, and hurt the country in the long run. It is neither necessary nor in the public interest.”

    The organisation also called for a change in the country’s fiscal situation through some combination of cuts in spending on salaries and allowances, and a freeze on spending in certain areas of the budget such as hardship and furniture allowances, entertainment allowances, international travels, and buying of motor vehicles and utilities for members and the Presidency.

    On borrowing of loans, SERAP also asked the parliament “to stop approving loan requests by the Federal Government if it continues to fail to demonstrate transparency and accountability in the spending of the loans so far obtained.”

    “We would consider the option of pursuing legal action to stop the Federal Government from selling public properties, and we may join the National Assembly in any such suit.

    “The budget deficit and debt problems threaten Nigerians’ access to essential public goods and services and will hurt future generations. If not urgently addressed, the deficit and debt problems would seriously undermine access to public goods and services for the country’s poorest and most vulnerable people who continue to endure the grimmest of conditions.

    “Our requests are brought in the public interest, and in keeping with the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the country’s international human rights obligations including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Nigeria has ratified both human rights treaties,” the statement added.

  • BREAKING: Physically challenged Nigerians protest inside National Assembly

    BREAKING: Physically challenged Nigerians protest inside National Assembly

    Some physically challenged Nigerians on Thursday stormed the National Assembly complex to protest what they termed as marginalisation of their rights.

    They accused their representatives of not putting their interests at the forefront of lawmaking at both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

    The physically challenged persons forced themselves inside the National Assembly Complex despite resistance by security operatives at the gate.

    Their invasion disrupted various activities at the parliament, as they ran round the complex chanting, ‘We no gree, you must kill us, stop neglecting us and so on.’

    Their spokesperson, Amos Etim, speaking to newmen explained that they came to National Assembly to demand their rights from their representatives.

     

    Details shortly…

  • NASS invitation: Jittery Buhari has nothing to tell Nigerians – PDP

    NASS invitation: Jittery Buhari has nothing to tell Nigerians – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party, on Thursday, knocked the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for his failure to secure lives and property in the country in the last five years.

    According to PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, Buhari has nothing to tell Nigerians and that could be responsible for his reported boycott of a joint National Assembly sitting today.

    “Mr President is afraid of the obvious, he knows he has nothing to tell Nigerians on the security situation in the country. That is why he is running from the National Assembly. He also failed in every area of governance including security,” Ologbondiyan stated on Thursday.

    The spokesperson of the opposition party also said there was no plan by the PDP caucus in the House of Representatives to embarrass the president at the sitting today.

    “There is no plan of any sort by any member of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party to embarrass Mr President. Mr President is only afraid of his own shadows,” Ologbondiyan said on Thursday while featuring on a television programme in Lagos.

    The House of Representatives led by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, had last week invited Buhari over the rising insecurity and the killing of over 43 farmers in Borno State.

    An aide to the President, Lauretta Onochie, had also revealed that Buhari would appear before a joint session of the National Assembly on Thursday. However, reports began to filter in on Tuesday that the President had decided not to attend the meeting any longer.

     

  • Insecurity: Buhari addresses National Assembly Thursday

    Insecurity: Buhari addresses National Assembly Thursday

    President Muhammadu Buhari will address a joint session of the National Assembly on Thursday 10th December 2020.

    Lauretta Onochie, an aide to President Buhari on social media, made the announcement on Monday via her verified Twitter account.

    “President @MBuhariwill address a joint session of the National Assembly @nassnigeria on Thursday 10th December 2020,” Lauretta stated.

  • NASS fires back at Fashola over failed roads in Benue

    NASS fires back at Fashola over failed roads in Benue

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ajibola Basiru, has debunked claims that the National Assembly was responsible for the deplorable state of roads in Benue State as alleged recently by the Minister for Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

    Fashola was quoted to have made the allegation on Monday in his office in Abuja during a courtesy visit by retired Generals and ‘other leaders of thought’ from Benue South Senatorial District led by Air Vice Marshal Morgan, following complaints about the deplorable state of roads in the senatorial district by members of the delegation.

    But in a reaction, the Senate Spokesman, Senator Ajibola Basiru, in a statement to the media on Sunday, said the National Assembly cannot and should not be held responsible for the deplorable state of roads whether in Benue State or any part of the country.

    According to Ajibola, the decision to respond to the claims by the Minister became imperative in view of setting the records straight, particularly against the backdrop of how critical the issue of road infrastructure is to the nation’s development.

    “The attention of the Senate was recently drawn to disturbing and erroneous claims made by the Minister for Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

    “Much as the upper chamber would not want to engage in any unnecessary altercation with the Minister, it is however necessary to speak up because the issue of roads infrastructure is too important and controversial a matter to be ignored where the National Assembly has been fingered by a serving Minister.

    “The records must be set right so that the two arms of government should not be seen as working at cross purposes in the course of delivering good governance to electorates.

    “For the 2020 fiscal year, the National Assembly approved the request for 265, 868, 037,093 billion Naira for capital expenditure by the Executive.

    “The Executive later brought a revised allocation of 256, 734,983,667 billion Naira which we also appropriated. As we speak, even in the budget proposal for 2021, the Executive proposed a capital expenditure of 363, 266, 425, 976 billion Naira.

    “The upper chamber cannot help but wonder where Mr. Fashola got his figure of 600 billion naira which he said was proposed by his ministry and allegedly not approved by the National Assembly.

    “The Senate, therefore, invites Nigerians and specifically the Minister’s guests from Benue South Senatorial District to note that figures do not lie.”

    The Senate Spokesman listed three road constructions which are ongoing in Benue South to include: Oju -Adum Okuku road at N 91,180 000; Oturko Township road at N357 200, 000; and Oju/Loko – Oweto bridge at a cost of N357, 200, 000.

    The Senate spokesman further described allegations by the Minister for Works, suggesting that the National Assembly gave priority to constituency projects over other projects as an attempt to incite Nigerians against the Legislative arm of government.

    “On the Minister’s allegation that priority is given to constituency projects over other projects, is an attempt to set the National Assembly on collision course with the people they are democratically representing.

    “It should be emphasized, therefore, that never has allocations specifically meant for other projects been diverted to constituency projects as the later have specific allocations in the budget,” the Senate Spokesman said.

  • #EndSARS: NASS will push for implementation of protesters’ demands – Lawan

    #EndSARS: NASS will push for implementation of protesters’ demands – Lawan

    President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, says the National Assembly will ensure that the five demands made to the Executive by #EndSARS protesters are implemented.

    Lawan gave the assurance on Thursday at plenary after the Senate was briefed by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (APC – Kebbi North) on the intervention by the leadership to wade into the matter.

    Giving details into the meeting between the Senate delegation and the protesters yesterday, Abdullahi said, “We met with a view to pacifying the protesters and also extending our commiseration with them over what happened.

    “They explained that in the course of their peaceful demonstration, they were accosted by some hoodlums, who they alleged were directed by the police to attack them; and how they were able to weather the storm and assemble at the National Assembly to inform us of their travails.

    “We sympathised with them and received the oral complaints that they wanted to present to the National Assembly.

    “They complained of damages to their vehicles, and some physical injuries that some of them sustained. Fortunately, there were no major injuries or even violent death.

    “We implored them to submit a catalogue of their complaints and the damages or injuries that were inflicted upon them, so that these can be conveyed to the appropriate authorities for interventions.

    “Today, the minority leader, as we arranged yesterday, was there on the ground to receive the catalogue of complaints.

    “Unfortunately those complains are not ready, so whenever they are ready, the leadership is going to compile and submit them to the appropriate authority for attention.

    “I just wanted to inform my colleagues, so that we put this particular issue on record.”

    In his remarks, Lawan, who described the demands by the protesters as legitimate, said the National Assembly would prevail on the Executive arm of government to ensure expeditious implementation.

    He, however, urged the protesters to go back home so as to give the Federal Government the chance to see to the implementation of their demands.

    “We took a motion sponsored by Distinguished Senator Oluremi Tinubu on the challenges that we face, especially with respect to the SARS activities across the country and, of course, we took far reaching resolutions.

    “Nigerians, let me say, have the right to peaceful demonstration. When they feel very strongly about issues, they can do so to call the attention of the leaders of this country for appropriate action to be taken.

    “I believe that the government has responded, SARS has been disbanded and all the five demands of the protesters have been accepted.

    “What I’ll urge here is if such demands have been accepted, then we should expedite taking action to actualize them.

    “I believe that when protesters demands are met, their goal should have been achieved. Therefore, there is need for our compatriots to go back home and give government the chance to quickly and expeditiously implement those demands.

    “Both chambers of the National Assembly have identified with the protests that they are legitimate protests and demands.

    “I think the next vital step is for the protests to stop because the initial reasons for the protests have been accepted as facts and government is trying to do everything possible.

    “I urge government, and that includes us, that we should push to ensure that those demands of the protesters that the executive side has accepted to implement are implemented as quickly as possible,” Lawan said.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Dangerous elements in NASS in vengeful mission to ‘kill’ PIB over Water Resources Bill

    EXCLUSIVE: Dangerous elements in NASS in vengeful mission to ‘kill’ PIB over Water Resources Bill

    By Emman Ovuakporie

    The Petroleum Industry Bill, otherwise known as PIB may be slaughtered by some lawmakers to avenge the manner the widely condemned Water Resources Bill was shabbily treated by Nigerian House of Representatives.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reliably gathered from multiple sources that the PIB unarguably the oldest bill in the Nigerian parliament may kiss the dust due to some interests tied to the manner the Water Resources Bill was silenced for now.

    Recall that the controversial Water Resources Bill was silenced due to lack of adequate awareness campaign not that it was actually pretty bad.

    While ruling on it, the speaker, Rep Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos) had advised that it should be gazetted for now.

    This development did not go down well with the progenitors of the bill who saw it as their birthright to ensure it sails through.

    One of the sources privy to this development, a lawmaker from the North Central geo-political zone of Nigeria told TNG that: “What some of these lawmakers are not aware of is the fact that the new PIB wholly is in favour of a segment of the country.

    “Their ignorance stinks to high heavens or how else do you explain why the first thing President Muhamnadu Buhari inserted in his 2016 Budget was N60 billion for oil exploration in the frontier states when oil exploration has not started.

    “Those plotting to rubbish the bill have the numbers to rubbish it but they will be truncating the future of their generations yet unborn.

    “And in this new PIB the frontier states are highly favoured so if these alleged dangerous elements among us decide to kill this new PIB who loses,” he wondered.

    “Well the PIB is almost belated, if it was passed 20 years ago then maybe we would have all benefitted because today the value of crude oil is fast deteriorating.

    “We are in a hurry to pass it now because it’s now favourable to this same elements who don’t know it’s favourable to them.

    “By next week Tuesday, we will start debating PIB and the bowels of the bill will be properly and exhaustively examined for all Nigerians to see.

    Another prominent lawmaker from the South South geo-political zone described the move of those who want the bill killed for lack of wisdom.

    The ranking member apparently disturbed said: “well I just hope the Bill will not sink like it sunk in the previous assemblies.

    “At the twilight of the sixth Assembly it died, at the twilight of the seventh Assembly we passed it but the Senate didn’t concur, at the twilight of the eighth Assembly it was almost a done deal, dangerous elements among us ‘killed’ it technically after it was rejected by Buhari.

    “Now we are on it again I just hope it’s not another jamboree like the previous jamborees,” he added.

  • Hon Nwawuba addresses intricacies of PIB

    Hon Nwawuba addresses intricacies of PIB

    Given the delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), the Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on the Niger Delta, Hon Henry Nwawuba has said care must be taken for the National Assembly (NASS) not to pass a bill that will not be of any good to the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Hon Nwawuba, at an event organized by the Nigerian Natural Resource Charter (NNRC) on Friday, stated this, while also addressing the intricacies of the much-awaited PIB that was recently forwarded to the NASS by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Noting that petroleum sector reforms started in Nigeria over 18 years ago, the Lawmaker said the entire PIB document forwarded to the NASS by Buhari was yet to be committed to the technical committee for legislative fireworks to commence.

    He said, “Petroleum sector reforms started in Nigeria over 18 years ago. Most of the other countries we started this journey with have moved along in the sector with transparency and accountability while Nigeria is still struggling with the PIB.

    “We have been trying to pass this particular piece of legislation since the 6th Assembly. This matter is now of a certain urgency. We must be nimble but we must be thorough. Since we started the journey, the oil industry landscape has changed significantly.

    “Care must be taken so we do not end up passing an obsolete bill. Having taken so long, it is critical that we get it right first time, particularly with the Host Community Bill. An “inclusive” bill that captures the aspirations of all stakeholders”.

    The member representing Mbaitolu/Ikeduru Federal Constituency of Imo State further stated that a paradigm shift was needed to guarantee that the right stakeholders are consulted as against the method of speaking with a few representative groups who have hijacked the process to further personal agenda.

    “The entire PIB document is yet to be committed to the technical committee for legislative fireworks to commence and believe me, we will be thorough.

    “However, as part of our bill making cycle we will be conducting a public hearing to allow for all interested groups, civil societies, religious bodies, youth groups etc to send in memoranda and representations.

    “The final PIB we will produce will be a harmonised document. The process of making this bill will be exhaustive. It will recognize a broad spectrum of stakeholders that will hopefully include unborn children and infants, adolescents, women, youth, chiefs and traditional rulers,” the Lawmaker stated.

    Speaking on the National Oil Spill Detection & Response Agency (NOSDRA) amendment bill, Nwawuba said, “the bill was passed by both chambers in 8th Assembly but was denied assent by Mr. President. We have taken advantage of our House Rule (Order 12) and re-introduced it in this 9th Assembly. It has now passed 1st and 2nd reading.

    “One of the mandates of NOSDRA is to restore and preserve our environment by ensuring best oil fields, storage and transmission practices in exploration, production and use of oil in the quest to achieve sustainable development in Nigeria.

    “We are working to have a technical committee set up to harmonize all the grey areas raised by Mr President, particularly the regulatory overlaps, and hopefully an emergency fund to react to environmental emergencies”.

    The Lawmaker also addressed the fate of the Niger Delta region after oil is long a thing of the past just like Enugu and Benue States stopped being relevant after the coal age.

    “Nigeria has a proven deposit of about 40 billion barrels of crude. By my calculation, if we drill at an average of 2 billion barrels a day, we will run out of crude by the year 2075. Our population by then will be well over 500 million people.

    “Our focus must be on those things that are necessary to navigate the future. There should be zero tolerance for wastage of resources. We need financial planning models to withstand future internal and external shocks in the event of depletion of our crude reserves.

    “So far we have failed to add value to our crude oil resources. We need to diversify the oil economy itself before talking about other sectors. If we had a robust mid stream industry we wont be where we are today.

    “Assuming 50% of our [crude oil] production is refined domestically we wont be here today. This is all down to policy failure. Why are refineries not working? Because we have the wrong policies. If we had the capacity to refine 1 million bpd think of how many jobs that will create.

    “Oil currently contributes about 60% to our economy earnings but only about 6-8% of our GDP. Have we used our oil resources well? The answer is no. We need to sterilize crude oil from our national budget so that our oil earnings will be used to build for the future.

    “We need to be shifting away from what we have been doing to what we must be doing. Our dependence on the extractive industries and fossil fuel deposits has exposed and alienated our economy from growth,” Nwawuba stated.

    Also speaking on the current state of the Strategic Implementation Work Plan (SIWP), Nwawuba said, “the SIWP was designed to pool all ongoing interventions in the Niger Delta and donor activities in order to stop the duplication of projects by institutions and the misapplication of those funds by reinvesting in projects already undertaken by another entity.

    “It was about the different ongoing live projects and monitoring those projects, so that they’re actionable. The SIWP was put forward at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) but was not approved.

    “So the duplicity continues unchecked leading to those in Niger Delta not benefitting. The National assembly will continue to advocate for the SIWP to be approved. I commit to be at the forefront of that push”.

  • BREAKING: Buhari presents N13trn budget to NASS for approval

    BREAKING: Buhari presents N13trn budget to NASS for approval

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday presented a budget of N13 trillion to the joint arm of the National Assembly for approval for the 2021 fiscal year.

    In the budget tagged: “Budget of economic recovery and resilience,” Buhari said the main thrust of the 2021 budget was to complete as many ongoing projects as possible, while giving priority to the ones that most affected the people.

    He said the 2021 budget would drive the MDAs to generate revenue, no matter how little, while urging the Legislature to pay attention to the revenue as much as they did to the expenditure.

    According to him, the 2021 budget was the roadmap for post-coronavirus economy and was aimed at accelerating the economic recovery process.

    Buhari said Crude oil is projected at $40bpd, exchange rate at N379 to $1, GDP at three percent and inflation rate at 11.95 per cent.

    He said he had directed the Minister of Finance to finalise the Finance Bill and transmit for consideration and passage.

    In the budget, the National Assembly got N128 billion, while N380.21b has been allocated to the health ministry.

    Details later…