Petroleum Industry Bill Not Dead – Dogara

Yakubu Dogara

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara said on Thursday that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) presented to the National Assembly, is not dead and will come out alive after lawmakers would have given it a final touch.

Dogara made this known at the 4th Triennial Branch Delegates’ Conference of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), DPR Branch, held in Abuja.

Represented by the House Chief Whip, Alhaji Alhassan Ado Doguwa, the speaker said majority of the lawmakers will not do anything that will undermine the interest of Nigerians, which the PIB represents.

“The Petroleum Industry Bill is not dead. The PIB was presented to the National Assembly alive; it will be handled alive and will cross out of the National Assembly still alive”, he assured.

The PIB has continued to generate concerns in the oil industry due to the National Assembly’s perceived lackadaisical attitude to pass the legislation after years of delay.

On Wednesday, the GMD of the NNPC, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, during his screening at the Senate, said Nigeria continues to lose investments worth $15bn annually due to non-passage of the bill.