Abuja — President Muhammadu Buhari has refused assent to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency Amendment Bill 2018.
His refusal to sign into law the bill recently passed by the National Assembly was indicated in a letter to the Assembly dated January 17 2019 and addressed to the Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki.
Saraki read the letter at the Senate plenary on Wednesday.
According to the letter, President Buhari declined assent to the bill undermined the powers of the Petroleum Minister and the functions of the Ministry of Petroleum.
The president listed part of the bill that undermined the powers of the minister and the functions of the ministry to include Section 3, Section 6(1)(a) to 5, 2 to 5, Section 7(a), 7(b), Section 8, 9 and 11.
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Noting that the bill aims at seeing NOSDRA function as a technical regulator as it concerns issuance of guidelines and standards for the oil and gas industry, he said the ministry of petroleum was already charged with these functions under the Petroleum Act.
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