Featured Politics News

Remaining parts of PIB will be passed next month, says Reps

By Meletus EZE    

The House of Representatives has said the remaining three parts of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) will be passed next month.

The House Committee Chairman on Gas, Hon. Fred Agbedi, stated this yesterday at the 2018 Natural Gas Business Forum 2018 organised by the Nigerian Gas Association in Lagos.

Agbedi assured the participants at the event that the remaining three parts of the PIB – the Fiscals, Administration and Host Communities Bills as the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) has since been passed and harmonized by the Senate and House of Representatives.

Agbedi said the decision to speedily pass the three bills was borne out of the need to lay down solid foundation for an enduring petroleum laws in the country. He said the House of Representatives would have passed the Bills earlier but was constrained by numerous conflicting presentations by oil and gas industry stakeholders.

The lawmaker said that the lower house was desirous of fashioning out robust laws that would strengthen the nation’s business environment through collaboration with stakeholders in the petroleum industry.

The representative of the Managing Director of Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), Mr. Justin Ezeala, emphasized the need for the private and public sectors to collaborate to ensure the growth of the nation’s gas sector. Ezeala said the NGC was well positioned to change the face of the gas industry and also ensure that the sector delivers the right input to the economy.

Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Gas Limited, Mr. Ed Ubong, said his company had been in the vanguard of developing domestic gas sector and had initiated vertical integrated programme leading to Shell’s diversification into the power sector.

He said Shell has been able to develop 650 megawatts (Mw) of power plant in Rivers State and also has a gas pipeline network that has linked up several industrial and manufacturing businesses into its gas supply network.

The Managing Director of Niger Delta Western, , Dr. Layi Fatona,  lamented about the fragmented policies of the government, saying that had caused serious setback to the nation’s gas sector.

Also, Dr Layi Fatona, the Managing Director of ND Western, lamented on the fragmented policies of Federal Government, saying it had caused serious setback to the nation’s gas sector.

He said the Nigerian Gas Master Plan, which was nurtured by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and designed to transform the sector, had been jettisoned by the current government in favour of a new policy direction called ‘7-Big Wins’ of the current government.

He advised that once a policy document was made and adopted, efforts should be made to implement it.

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