Buhari may not assent to PIGB, say Amadi, others

President Muhammadu Buhari may not assent to the
Petroleum Industry Governance Bill transmitted to him by the
National Assembly in April, the immediate past Chairman, Nigerian
Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr. Sam Amadi, and other
industry stakeholders have said.

According to them, the silence from the Presidency since the
bill was sent to Buhari is not encouraging, arguing that this
administration had promised to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill
into law if voted into power while campaigning in 2015. The PIGB is
a part of the omnibus PIB.

The stakeholders spoke at a roundtable conference organised by
the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre in collaboration with
Foster on Presidential Assent to the PIGB in Abuja.

In his submissions at the event, Amadi said, “My sensing is that
this Presidency has walked back from too many things that we
thought they would sign; for instance, the issue of declaration of
assets and procurement council, things we thought were harmless
because of where there are coming from.

“But they have walked back and so, I will not lose sleep if they
walk back from this, because I think they may likely walk back from
this (PIGB).”

Amadi explained that the PIGB would not just take away so much
powers from the Minister of Petroleum Resources or the President,
but would curb corruption in the oil sector.

He added, “The power over oil blocks is actually the power of
corruption, but if the President is not inclined to those
behaviour, then there is really not much that he is losing by
signing the bill. But again, politics is about that. Perception
that you are losing or gaining power is critical.

“So, how the narrative is put out, maybe as a narrative that the
President is about to make history and that his agenda is maturing,
could help to set the perception that this is not a self-emulation
but a form of epiphany, if you like. But if the narrative is made
to look as if some people are clamping down on the power of the
President, I think it won’t be nice for the bill.”

The National Assembly had split the PIB into four, namely: the
PIGB, Petroleum Industry Fiscal Framework Bill, Petroleum Industry
Administration Bill and Petroleum Host Community Development
Bill.

President Muhammadu Buhari may not assent to the
Petroleum Industry Governance Bill transmitted to him by the
National Assembly in April, the immediate past Chairman, Nigerian
Electricity Regulatory Commission, Dr. Sam Amadi, and other
industry stakeholders have said.

According to them, the silence from the Presidency since the
bill was sent to Buhari is not encouraging, arguing that this
administration had promised to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill
into law if voted into power while campaigning in 2015. The PIGB is
a part of the omnibus PIB.

The stakeholders spoke at a roundtable conference organised by
the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre in collaboration with
Foster on Presidential Assent to the PIGB in Abuja.

In his submissions at the event, Amadi said, “My sensing is that
this Presidency has walked back from too many things that we
thought they would sign; for instance, the issue of declaration of
assets and procurement council, things we thought were harmless
because of where there are coming from.

“But they have walked back and so, I will not lose sleep if they
walk back from this, because I think they may likely walk back from
this (PIGB).”

Amadi explained that the PIGB would not just take away so much
powers from the Minister of Petroleum Resources or the President,
but would curb corruption in the oil sector.

He added, “The power over oil blocks is actually the power of
corruption, but if the President is not inclined to those
behaviour, then there is really not much that he is losing by
signing the bill. But again, politics is about that. Perception
that you are losing or gaining power is critical.

“So, how the narrative is put out, maybe as a narrative that the
President is about to make history and that his agenda is maturing,
could help to set the perception that this is not a self-emulation
but a form of epiphany, if you like. But if the narrative is made
to look as if some people are clamping down on the power of the
President, I think it won’t be nice for the bill.”

The National Assembly had split the PIB into four, namely: the
PIGB, Petroleum Industry Fiscal Framework Bill, Petroleum Industry
Administration Bill and Petroleum Host Community Development
Bill.