Allow Us To Do Something Good For Our Country, Lawan Tells Those Frustrating PIB

The passage of the Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Bill has been frustrated by both Nigerians and foreigners, the President of the Senate Ahmed Lawan has said.

Lawan made this known during a briefing in Abuja.

Africa’s largest crude exporter had initiated the bill for over two decades from 2000, by the Oil and Gas Sector Reform Implementation Committee which led to the first National Oil and Gas Policy.

The new oil and gas legislature submited March and Updated in September last year targets creating efficient and effective governing institutions, with clear and separate roles for the petroleum industry of oil rich Nigeria.

The bill was sent to the Senate in September last year, while the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, said the legislators would pass the bill by the end of March 2021.

But Lawan said on Tuesday that, “The PIB is like a demon. That PIB thing, there are people both inside and outside the country, who would work against it, but it is going to take the strength of our patriotism to pass it.”

Lawan recalled how the same oil industry stakeholders almost frustrated the passage of the Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract Bill in 2019.

The Senate boss said it took the firm resolve of the legislators to pass the bill which inturn grew Nigeria’s revenue profile from Deep Offshore activities from $216m to $2bn.

The Senate President pointed out that the NASS would adopt same force to ensure the passage of the bill which would improve the country’s revenue profile.

Lawan said, “In 2019, when we said we would pass the amendment to the Deep Offshore – Production Sharing Contract – people didn’t want it to happen because they stopped it from happening for 20 years.

“We said, we will try. The second day they came and said, if we do this (pass the PSC amendment bill), they would leave this country, because that will be against some interests.

“I replied: for once, allow us do something for our country. And I laughed, you are not going anywhere. The kind of things you do in this country, where else in the world would you be allowed to do it? So, we are going to do this amendment.

“They thought it was a joke. In a week, we finished the amendment. The House was on recess; the day they returned, they concurred.

“Mr. President knew how important that amendment was. He was in London, and that bill was flown to him. He signed it on a Sunday, just to give that amendment the validity that was needed.”