TheNewsGuru

Tag: NASS

  • 2020 CAMA Act: Bishop lashes Christian legislators in NASS

    2020 CAMA Act: Bishop lashes Christian legislators in NASS

    A cleric, Bishop Godfrey Onah has blamed Christians in the National Assembly (NASS) for the passage and signing into law of the 2020 Companies and Allied Matters Bill (CAMA).

    Onah, who is of the Nsukka Catholic Diocese, said in a remark during the Sunday Mass that if Christians in NASS had opposed the bill it would not have been passed into law.

    Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had on August 7 signed the CAMA bill into law, giving provision for religious bodies and charity organisations to be regulated by the registrar of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and a supervising minister.

    “The question many Christians have been asking is where are Christian legislators during the debate of this bill and its passage in the National Assembly?

    “Because, if they had opposed this bill on the floor of the house it will not have been passed and sent to the president for assent.

    “I blame Christian legislators for doing nothing and allowing the passage of the 2020 CAMA Act,” he said.

    The cleric, however, wondered what the federal government wanted to achieve in monitoring how the finances of churches in the country are managed when it contributed no dime to the church.

    “Government should focus and monitor its ministries, agencies and other government institutions where it budgets billions of Naira annually and not church offerings.

    “Had it been that government gave allocations to churches and decided to monitor its usage, nobody will question government,” he said.

    Onah urged government as a matter of urgency to withdraw the law and amend it, since the 2020 CAMA posed a threat to churches in the country.

    “It is unfair that the church is grouped among Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), in the country that should be monitored and controlled by Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

    “The most annoying part of it is that the act empowers the CAC to suspend board of trustees including those of churches suspected to have mismanaged its finance and appoint interim managers to manage their affairs.

    “If this law is implemented, what it means is that churches in the country have been reduced to ordinary secular organisations,” the cleric noted.

  • Timipre Sylva opens up on state of Petroleum Industry Bill

    Timipre Sylva opens up on state of Petroleum Industry Bill

    The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva on Thursday spoke on the much-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), revealing that the Executive arm would be requesting the National Assembly (NASS) to specially reconvene to receive and begin deliberations on the regulatory framework.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Sylva made this known during a “Fiscal Regime Design, Government Revenues & Investors’ Interest in Nigeria Oil and Gas Sector” webinar hosted by the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE).

    According to the Minister, the PIB is key to the repositioning of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry under its post-COVID-19 agenda. He said the bill would be presented to the lawmakers in the next few weeks when the lawmakers have reconvened.

    “I will tell you very confidently that we have finished our job, the drafting process is concluded. We have discussed with some relevant industry operators as well. At this point, what is happening is, the Ministry of Justice is looking at the draft again to ensure that it is not in conflict with existing laws in the country, and even that process has now be concluded.

    “In the coming few days, we have requested the National Assembly to see if they can reconvene to accept the PIB. If that happens the PIB should be with them within the next few weeks and after that, frankly I cannot say how long it is going to stay in the National Assembly,” the Minister said.

    Sylva, however, expressed optimism that the PIB would be expeditiously dealt with by the lawmakers, given that it had taken the country years to get it to this stage.

    He said: “Government needs maximum fiscal environment to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. For this reason, we are proposing grandfathering in the new PIB. This, I believe will preserve current government take, while also guaranteeing investors’ returns.

    “It also guarantees that investors can continue with the existing operations while earning favourable returns. The proposed PIB framework shall be based on core principles of clarity, dynamism, neutrality, open access and fiscal rules of general application.

    “At the same time, investments in new acreages will be encouraged with attractive competitive terms in order to achieve economic growth.

    “Investors in existing assets will be able to sign conversion contracts to obtain better terms for existing production, and to be able to explore and produce part of the existing blocks under the new block terms.”

    According to him, investors that also want to continue operating under the current fiscal terms can choose to do so.

    Sylva said that the host communities would be adequately covered to foster sustainable prosperity within the communities, provide direct social and economic benefits from petroleum operations to the host communities.

    He also maintained that a diversification plan to non-oil economy had become a national imperative due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the oil and gas industry and other sectors of the economy.

    “The PIB will provide a framework for increased petroleum industry activities in terms of developing gas for the domestic market and increasing oil production under competitive terms and support the goal of a stronger non-oil economy for the benefit of all Nigerians,” Sylva added.

    According to the Minister, the business environment has been quite challenging for the oil and gas industry, the nation and the entire world and that at the same, the oil and gas industry is facing increased competition from expanding and ever cheaper renewable resources. These he said make the future uncertainty for the petroleum industry

    “Current global economic outlook occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic is predicted to create a recession which will according to IMF result in a decline of 4.9% of world GDP in 2020. Even if acceptable vaccines are developed by 2021, it may take two or more years to recover from this recession. We might be grappling with low oil demands and therefore low prices for the rest of 2020 and afterwards.

    “At the same time, the oil and gas industry is facing increased competition from expanding and ever cheaper renewable resources. As an example, the French electricity company, EDF and other partners signed in Abu Dhabi a 30 years solar energy supply agreement of 3200 megawatts for a power purchase agreement price of 1 Dollar and 35 Cents per kilowatts. Or, about N5 per kilowatts.

    “The future role of natural gas in electricity generation may be challenged as renewable energy begins to compete with gas for power generation. In the long term, green hydrogen derived from electrolysis may start to replace natural gas and petroleum products in a variety of sectors, if the cost of producing green hydrogen falls below 2 Dollars per kg.

    “The Paris Agreement on climate change of 2015 has added urgency with respect to the elimination of fossil fuels and as a result the European Union, South Korea, Chile, and many other nations are now taking actions to become carbon neutral by 2050.

    “These developments have increased future uncertainty in the petroleum industry. It is a wakeup call for Nigeria to increase efforts to reduce her dependence on oil. We must rejig our petroleum industry and energy framework in order to chart a new course. The Petroleum Industry Bill that we proposed will I believe provides this framework.

    “In order to secure the future of the petroleum industry in Nigeria, fiscal and other terms must be based on a more conservative economic outlook. A framework must be created for the Nigerian petroleum industry to grow and invest in additional petroleum production even under difficult economic conditions.

    “This conservation economic outlook must be based on a long term oil price of around 50 Dollars per barrel in constant Dollars terms. It is assumed that on a worldwide basis, peak oil production will occur by 2030 and peak gas production by 2040. By 2050, the world oil production will be considerably less than today,” he said.

  • OPINION: Fate of the Niger Delta region: Why FG must act now or never

    OPINION: Fate of the Niger Delta region: Why FG must act now or never

    What does the future hold for the people of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria in the next 60 years? For critical observers, the future is bleak. But, how is this so when Nigeria has made over $1 trillion in oil revenues in the past 60 years? How did we get here?

    Since crude oil was first discovered in Nigeria, several mechanisms to transfer benefits to the Niger Delta, the goose laying the golden eggs, have been set up. These include statutory allocations to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), 13% derivation and 3% NDDC levy from oil companies.

    The core mandates of these mechanisms are to ensure the rapid development of the Niger Delta and to also ensure that the issues of the environmental degradation in the region and the impact of oil and gas operations are appropriately delivered.

    However, these mechanisms have continued to fail to impact in any significant way the lives of the people of the region just like previous benefit transfer mechanisms, the Niger Delta Development Board of 1960 and the Oil Mineral Producing Area Development Commission (OMPADEC) of 1992.

    This is so because there are no defined, deliberate and enforceable participatory frameworks created by the government with the goal of ensuring that affected communities participate meaningfully in decision making on resource projects. More so, there are no social impact assessments required or conducted for resource projects as pre resource project assessments are principally limited to environmental impacts. And even more, is that the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) bill was denied passage. NOSDRA would have emphasized increased enforcement and the rate of fines and penalties for oil companies polluting the Niger Delta, as well as give NOSDRA powers to enforce penalties and fines and to inspect and monitor the decommissioning of oil facilities.

    The result is that the Niger Delta that hosts over 800 oil field communities with over 900 active oil wells and thousands of other oil exploitation infrastructures continues to suffer neglect. 13,329 settlements in the region, out of which, only 98 are rated as urban, with the rest as scattered rural villages, are mostly cut off from basic amenities. 88% of rural dwellers in the region are considered to be living in abject poverty.

    According to a research conducted by We The People, a civil society organisation, NDDC projects where they are located are known as disposable projects, meaning that the instant the projects are commissioned, the next few weeks they go into dysfunction and are abandoned. With the research, it is now known that the NDDC has up to 10,000 abandoned projects littering the landscape of the region. The region is left to rot from the impact of oil exploration and exploitation, with the people of the region left for dead. There is practically nothing to show for the amount of wealth being generated from the region.

    The forensic audit of the NDDC ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari and the investigation into the atrocities of the Commission started by the National Assembly (NASS) gave a glimmer of hope that the benefits transfer mechanisms for the region would finally be rejigged, fine-tuned so that development in real terms can start happening in the Niger Delta. But Nigerians were dead shocked by the way and manner the NASS made a mess of the investigation, to make matters worse.

    The drama shown at the NASS is an indication that the neglect of the Niger Delta is deep-rooted and that it is being orchestrated by players in the government in connivance with Niger Delta elements who are unperturbed by the dire future of the region when oil and gas exploration and production would have become a thing of the past.

    In the 60 years of oil and gas exploration and exploitation in Nigeria, there is nothing to write home about for all the revenues received. What then does the next 60 years hold? The time to take action is now if not, a gloomy future awaits the people of the Niger Delta who will live with the rottenness that oil exploration and exploitation is leaving behind.

    Meanwhile, in efforts to synthesize key recommendations necessary for policy action in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, the Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC) had made key recommendations needed to revolutionize the fortune of the Niger Delta. Major issues relating to managing local impacts of oil and gas activities are usually captured by NNRC in precept 5 of its benchmarking exercise report (BER).

    The precept directs that the government must pursue opportunities for local benefits and account for, mitigate, and offset the environmental and social costs of resource extraction projects if benefits from extractive activities are to be impactful to the people.

    But, it is unfortunate that since the charter was instituted, Nigeria has consistently performed below average in managing local impacts of resource extraction. The 2019 BER showed no noteworthy changes have occurred since the 2017 BER. Key legislation to ensure the participation of communities, protect the environment, mitigate costs, respect rights and ensure that communities benefit from oil and gas projects suffered setbacks in the period.

    This is more so even as the government has failed to pass key legislation as the petroleum industry bill (PIB) that has been touted as the salvation for the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The PIB has defied passage and assent for almost two decades. President Buhari, who happens to be the substantive minister of petroleum and, therefore, should know better, had declined assent to a component of the bill that has spent 19 years in circulation in Nigeria. He had promised that the executive would send a better version of the bill to NASS. Till date, its audio.

    It seems that the leadership of the nation is oblivious of the rapidly evolving nature of the dynamics in the global oil and gas industry and how volatile the industry is. It also seems that the leaders are oblivious of how developed countries have completely revolutionized their oil and gas industry with proper policy frameworks like the PIB. Nigeria deserves better because the nation’s oil and gas have to be managed efficiently for the good of all, especially as the PIB as proposed would see international oil companies (IOC) pay 10% of their net profit to petroleum host communities to benefit oil and gas producing areas to help cushion the suffering of so many years.

    Needless to say the outbreak of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic showcased in full scale the volatile nature of the oil and gas industry. The drastic fall in the price of crude, as a result, meant that the government had to prioritize expenditures. Hitherto, certain issues, including issues that have to do with the Niger Delta, were not prioritized. This portends a bad omen for the future of the Niger Delta when oil has lost its value as coal and stones did before it.

    It is, therefore, imperative that the government understand the urgency to address the issues bothering on the Niger Delta while the revenues from oil and gas continue to flow as there is a chance, as witnessed already, that when oil dries out, Nigeria will move on, while the Niger Delta region retains the negative externalities as the dire future begins and lasts forever.

    Given the urgency, the executive should, therefore, immediately send the PIB to the NASS because clarity on issues bothering on the petroleum industry is needed now more than before. The executive must also ensure that the forensic audit of the NDDC is not made a mess of like the NASS did. The tardiness in the management of scarce resources as the one witnessed with the NDDC must be avoided. In addition, the government should extend the forensic audit to other beneficiation institutions with the aim to ensure a total cleansing of the entire mechanisms of resource governance.

    And then, the NASS should wake up to its responsibilities of checks and balances to see that the government agencies are living up to expectations. The NASS must in addition to this and as a matter of urgency pass the much-awaited PIB immediately the bill is received from the executive. The benefits of the bill to Nigeria and indeed the Niger Delta cannot be overemphasized.

    Also, the NOSDRA bill, mentioned earlier, should be revisited. The environmental impact assessments, considered for expansion by the 8th Assembly, to include human rights, social components and conflict assessments, should also be considered, and be required and conducted for resource projects, going forward.

    Every means to change the fortune of the Niger Delta for good should be exploited as the region cannot afford to be in rot long after oil is a thing of the past. The time to act is now.

  • BREAKING: Buhari sends revised PIB to NASS

    BREAKING: Buhari sends revised PIB to NASS

    President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a revised edition of the long-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to the National Assembly (NASS).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports a source at NASS who spoke under the condition of anonymity confirmed the development on Monday.

    Recall that the last time the PIB was debated by the NASS, during the first term of President Buhari, the bill was in four separate components.

    The four components were the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), Petroleum Industry Finance Bill, Petroleum Host and Impacted Communities Bill (PHICB) and the Petroleum Industry Administrative Bill.

    Out of the four components, only one of the components, the PIGB made it through to the President’s desk for assent but he refused to sign it.

    President Buhari declined assent to the component of the bill earlier passed by the NASS with a promise to submit a better version of the bill.

    However, according to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva all four components of the PIB would be compressed into one bill.

    A team of lawyers at the Ministry of Justice finalized the draft of the long-awaited bill and sent it off to the NASS, according to Africa oil and gas report.

    The frame of the document had earlier been approved by Buhari and the Federal executive council (FEC), the report stated.

    Meanwhile, Senate President Ahmad Lawan had reiterated the legislative commitment to work in harmony with the executive arm for the speedy passage and signing into law of the bill.

    The PIB has defied passage and assent, but Senator Lawan said, “It is our hope and desire that we are able to break the jinx that has visited the PIB since 2007”.

  • NASS questions may frustrate fresh $5.3b loan from China – Amaechi

    NASS questions may frustrate fresh $5.3b loan from China – Amaechi

    The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has said that the National Assembly should allow the government to get a fresh $5.3 billion loan from China.

    According to Amaechi, the legislative arm must stop asking questions concerning Nigeria’s loan agreement with China to enable the Asian giants grant the loan.

    The Minister pointed out that questions from the legislatures would likely deter Chinese government from extending credit to the country, especially the fresh $5.3bn required for the Ibadan-Kano railway.

    The former Rivers State Governor said this during an inspection tour of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail project in the company of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

    “They are not investigating corruption in construction. We want the National Assembly to allow us to get the loan for Ibadan to Kano, which is about $5.3bn,” Amaechi said.

    “If you are telling the man who lent you money you don’t like the way he lent you, he won’t lend you any further.

    “For this one (Lagos-Ibadan rail project), we have $1.6bn for which we are contributing about 200 to $300 million. But don’t forget, they have not finished paying, they can stop at any time.”

    Recall that the green chamber had recently raised the alarm about the nature of the Chinese loans.

    The lawmakers cried out that the agreements puts Nigeria’s sovereignty into question in the case of a re-payment default.

  • NASS investigation may frustrate Chinese loan for rail projects – Amaechi

    NASS investigation may frustrate Chinese loan for rail projects – Amaechi

    The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, says the ongoing National Assembly investigation may frustrate the loan agreement between Nigeria and China to finance the Port Harcourt to Maiduguri rail project.

    Amaechi, who stated this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, said the Chinese government had said if there are issues the negotiations will not be concluded.

    “The investigation being carried out by National Assembly may frustrate the loan agreement between us and China on the Port Harcourt to Maiduguri rail project.

    “So, if tomorrow we are unable to construct Port Harcourt to Maiduguri railway because we didn’t get the loan, it is because of the investigation by NASS.

    “I told the National Assembly that they can investigate but they should allow us get the loan first.

    “If they stop the work from Ibadan to Kano, it is because of the investigations, same with Lagos to Calabar railway.

    “If you think there is corruption, investigate corruption. What we are saying is that we should conclude negotiation first because there is pressure affecting the Chinese government in which they are talking to us directly.

    “So, for me, what is primary here should be national interest.

    “We have the approval to construct the Lagos-Ibadan, Lagos-Kano and Lagos-Calabar rail lines; we are also at the point of negotiating for the loans.

    “Summoning us to the National Assembly to come and address the loans would look like the government is no longer interested in the loan,’’ he said.

    On plans to repay the loans, the minister said that profit generated from the train service would be used through a special account to be opened for that purpose.

    Amaechi, however, debunked insinuations that the Chinese loan was being paid directly to the Nigerian government to execute the rail projects.

    “One good thing about the loan we are collecting is that they are not paid to us, they are paid directly to the contractors who execute those projects,’’ he explained.

    On insecurity on Nigerian waterways, Amaechi said that it was time for the federal government to address the issues of companies making money from insecurity in the country.

    He, however, said that the ministry was set to address the issue by executing the 195 million dollars contract meant to address the problem of insecurity on the waterways.

  • Court issues arrest warrant of former NASS Clerk, Omolori

    Court issues arrest warrant of former NASS Clerk, Omolori

    A Federal High Court sitting at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has issued an arrest warrant against the immediate past clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Sani Omolori.

    Ruling on an exparte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Justice Suleman Belgore gave the order following claims by the anti-graft agency that Mr. Omolori ignored its invitation to report at its office over an investigation of a petition.

    The EFCC in its motion stated that it was investigating a petition, alleging diversion of 14 Toyota Hilux vehicles and 13 Peugeot 508 valued at over 400 million naira.

    It added that, as part of its investigation activities, it invited the secretary of the national assembly commission, Adamu Fika, Mr. Oluseye Ajakaye and others to its office.

    The commission added that Mr. Fika and Mr. Ajakaye made revelations indicting Mr. Omolori, following which invitation letters were sent to him on November 4, 2019, which he allegedly ignored.

    The anti-graft agency, further noted that it sent another letter to the former clerk on March 16, 2020, which he still ignored.

  • Serap to NASS: ‘Publish all reports of corruption probes since 1999’

    Serap to NASS: ‘Publish all reports of corruption probes since 1999’

    The Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan and Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila have been sent a request by a Nigerian group, to urgently publish all reports of corruption probes by the National Assembly since 1999.

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) made the request under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act.

    The organization also the two principal officials of the National Assembly to “disclose the number and details of public hearings and corruption probes by the National Assembly that have resulted in any indictment of suspects, and to name such suspects.

    “The reports should be sent to appropriate anti-corruption agencies to consider if there is sufficient admissible evidence to pursue prosecution,” the group said in a 25 July letter by
    its deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare.

    “Publishing the reports of hearings and probes would bolster public trust and confidence in the oversight functions, and dispel the perception that many of these hearings and probes are politically motivated and serve personal interest, rather than the general public interests.”

    “The most effective way to deter corruption is to make the cost of engaging in these types of acts higher than the rewards.

    “This end can only be accomplished by making public the reports and pursuing public accountability for corrupt acts. Doing so would also give Nigerians greater confidence that their lawmakers can use their constitutional oversight functions to address corruption in Nigeria.”

    The FoI requests, read in part: “We urge you to sponsor a resolution to stop lawmakers from directly getting involved in the execution of projects by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to ensure the proper and effective exercise of oversight functions, including investigations of corruption allegations, such as those involving the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).”

    “We also urge you to urgently use the opportunity of the ongoing public hearings and corruption probes to influence Nigeria’s anti-corruption agenda, including by immediately amending section 52 of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act on independent counsel for corruption.”

    “Section 52 requires the Chief Justice of Nigeria to authorise an independent counsel to investigate any allegation of corruption against high level public officials, and to report his/her findings to the National Assembly or appropriate house of assembly.”

    “The proposed amendment should include additional requirements beyond merely reporting to lawmakers, that would allow the independent counsel to use the findings of any investigation as a basis to pursue effective prosecution of corruption cases without any authorisation by the executive or the National Assembly.”

    “SERAP notes that both the Senate and House of Representatives have over the years conducted several public hearings and corruption probes to expose pervasive problem of corruption in MDAs.”

    “SERAP is concerned about the systemic and widespread corruption allegations in MDAs and among high-ranking public officials, and the negative impacts on socio-economic development, as well as access of Nigerians to public goods and services, including quality education, adequate healthcare, clean water and regular electricity supply.”

    “We would be grateful if the requested information is provided to us within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of the FoI requests. If we have not heard from you by then, the Registered Trustees of SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions under the Freedom of Information Act and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to compel you to comply with our requests.”

    “The exercise of oversight functions and powers by the National Assembly to conduct public hearings and corruption probes in MDAs should be regarded as a public trust.”

    “The National Assembly has a unique opportunity to enhance transparency and accountability, as well as the integrity of its oversight functions on corruption matters in particular, and other constitutional roles, in general, including by publishing widely the reports of all corruption-related public hearings since 1999.”

    “There is legitimate public interest in the publication of the reports of these public hearings and probes. The public hearings and probes can only serve as effective mechanisms to prevent and combat corruption if their reports are widely published.”

  • PIB suffers further setback as Senate proceeds on annual recess without Executive action

    PIB suffers further setback as Senate proceeds on annual recess without Executive action

    Senate President Ahmad Lawan on Wednesday announced the Nigerian Senate would be proceeding on its annual recess until September, leaving the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to suffer further delay.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports President Muhammadu Buhari had declined assent to a component of the bill passed by the National Assembly (NASS) with a promise to submit a better version of the bill.

    The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva had on July 14 announced that the PIB would be sent to the NASS in two weeks. He had said the bill would be signed into law by mid-2020.

    However, until the Senate announced going on its annual recess till September, the Executive arm of the government failed to submit the bill to the NASS, which members have been expecting the new PIB for deliberations and debate to begin on the much-awaited piece of legislation.

    Senate President Lawan during plenary on Wednesday reiterated the legislative commitment to work in harmony with the executive arm for the speedy passage and signing into law of the PIB.

    He decried delay in the passage of the bill, stressing that more revenue will accrue into the coffers of the Federal Government when the bill is passed and signed into law.

    He stated that as part of that commitment, relevant Committees on Petroleum and Gas had been mandated to engage the Executive arm of Government, particularly the NNPC and DPR, on the PIB to be submitted to the NASS.

    He explained that such engagement between both arms of government would reduce the time needed to carry out legislative work on the bill when it is finally sent to the Legislature for consideration and passage.

    “We want to work in harmony with the executive arm, but It takes both arms of Government to work together in a cordial and harmonious way. We are desirous of working together with the executive arm, and we expect that the Executive arm would be desirous of working with us.

    “Therefore, it is important that whoever takes public office also understands that there has to be this type of engagement on behalf of the Nigerian public.

    “As a part of this engagement, we have mandated relevant Committees on Petroleum (Upstream and Downstream); and Gas to engage the Executive arm of Government, particularly the NNPC and DPR, on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to be submitted to the National Assembly.

    “Such engagement between both arms of government would reduce the time needed to carry out legislative work on the bill when it is finally sent to the Legislature for consideration and passage.

    “It is our hope and desire that we are able to break the jinx that has visited the PIB since 2007. The PIB has defied passage and assent, this time around we want to work assiduously with the Executive arm of Government to ensure that we pass the PIB and that the President signs it into law, because we have everything to lose if not passed this year.

    “If we are able to do it, we will get more revenue into the coffers of the Federal Government, as well as attract and retain investments into the oil and gas sector in Nigeria,” Senate President Lawan stated.

  • Take back your independence from Executive now, PDP Reps caucus tells NASS

    Take back your independence from Executive now, PDP Reps caucus tells NASS

    …says Nigeria and Nigerians are begging for governance

    … security has been compromised

    … corruption in NDDC since inception has nosedived
    … giving $1m of Niger-Delta people to an individual is the height of corruption

    ..774,000 jobs is diversionary
    …ask Buhari to step up governance or expect impeachment notice

    By Emman Ovuakporie

    The House of Representatives Peoples Democratic Party, PDP caucus on Sunday advised the National Assembly to immediately take back its independence from the executive arm of government before the country becomes rudderless.

    The caucus apparently peeved by recent developments in Nigeria asked President Muhammadu Buhari to step up governance or relevant sections in the 1999 constitution as amended of the Federal Republic on impeachment would be invoked.

    This was contained in a statement entitled: “Deliberate and calculated blackmail of the National Assembly by the Executive Arm of Government; call for action’ signed by Rep Kingsley Chinda asking the National Assembly to take back its independence from the executive.

    The caucus raised issues bordering on the state of insecurity in the country, the rate of unemployment, the disrespect for the parliament by appointees of the executive, and several others.

    The statement reads:

    “It is too glaring that there is a deliberate and calculated blackmail by the Executive to ridicule the National Assembly and bring the parliament into public odium. The odious events of the past few weeks, chiefly orchestrated by unconscionable officials of the Executive arm of government who continue to show disrespect for the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the ethos, notions and governance practices that shape constitutional democracy, underscore the blackmail.

    “Recall three of several events of the past few weeks. On Thursday 16th July 2020, a Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour walked out on the House Committee on Diaspora unprovoked.

    “Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour, who appeared before the Joint Ad-Hoc Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity walked out on the Committee over a disagreement that arose between him and the Committee on two specific questions: (1) What modalities the Ministry of Labour had put in place for the successful execution of the alleged Public Works’ employment scheme of the Ministry; (2) Why was the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) not mandated to oversee the said Public Works’ employment scheme, since it was within the statutory remit of the Directorate. Keyamo chose to walk out on the Committee. No matter how plausible his reasons are, a walkout on the Parliament is unacceptable.

    “A few days ago, the Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Daniel Pondei, walked out on the Committee of the House of Representatives charged with the responsibility of investigating the financial scandal that has rocked the Commission. Again, regardless of his reasons, a walkout on the Parliament is inexcusable.

    “The three arms of government are empowered to work in sync, within the bounds of the basic law, and deliver on the responsibilities and mandates assigned to them by the Constitution. No one arm is superior to the other. However, the Executive arm has gone about itself like the Leviathan, taking the legislature and judiciary prisoners. This should not be so in a constitutional democracy in which the Constitution is held out as inviolate and inviolable. To hijack other arms of government, supplant them into obsequious rubber stamps arms, is to subvert the Constitution.

    “If the totalizing and unconscionable behaviours of members of the Executive arm enhance governance in our country, our position here would have been made tenuous by the fact of the good governance that their misbehaviours enthrone; but it is not the case.

    “There is a total collapse of all governance and structural systems in the country due to bad or near absence of governance. We groan under a government where armed robbers have now seized our highways; operatives of the State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Forces have taken over the streets of our towns and cities, killing and maiming Nigerian youths. Worse still, security is at its lowest ebb. Terrorists, kidnappers and bandits have taken over vast ungoverned swathes of our country. Katsina, the home state of the Commander-in-Chief is on its knees. In fact, everywhere is unsafe in our country. The internal security of the country has been compromised as Boko Haram continues to inflict violence and death on Nigerians, while President Buhari continues to sound like the broken record.

    “The behaviours of appointees of the Executive arm are mere smokescreens to create a diversion from high level of corruption of the executive arm.

    “Keyamo’s 774,000 public works jobs are ATM s directed at siphoning money from the treasury akin to the school feeding programme of pupils at home. No more. The beneficiaries are to earn N20,000 for three months totalling N60,000.00 and N58billion has been voted for these phantom jobs? How else can we explain a non-sustainable scheme, with no end value