21 January 2012, Sweetcrude, ABUJA – The Nigerian governmnet says it is to produce a new draft of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) planned to overhaul its oil and gas industry’
This move is a result of the controversy that dogged an earlier bill which has been with the Nigerian National Assembly since 2008.
Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke said, while inaugurating an eight-member task force set up to fast track the passage of the controversial oilreform bill, that the committee would review the various versions of the bill submitted to the parliament and produce a new one within the next 30 days, according to a statement from her office.
She said: “As a matter of fact, you are all also aware that at the end of the 6th Assembly, there was more than one version going around. So, government expects that the committee will put up all the indices in place to redefine the bill, look at certain sections and include strategic aspects so that we can get it right.”
One Comment
Aldrin
Abbey: You’re right. If the EFCC wanted to dotnesmrated its independence from Obasanjo, Babangida would be in Kiri Kiri. Howver, I wonder if the fact that he is still a free man is also an illustration of the infancy of Nigeria’s democratic system? Is it better to allow certain Big Boys to go ‘scott free’ until the government gains its feet? Think of Chile and the immunity given to Pinochet and his cronies as a negotiation tool to wrestle democracy from the military. Please stop by with more thoughts on the country you ‘claim’ to not give a rat’s ass about. You and I both know you care more than you [email protected] Dee: Thanks for pointing us to the HRW document. Will check it out this weekend. I agree with you that Nigerian Corruption must be defined. Only then will we, as a people, be able to effectively, tackle it. I am hoping that on some level, this is a starting point. Nilla noted ‘favors’ and ‘business’ and its like the US Supreme Court’s inability to clearly define pornography except for a “I know it when I see it” approach.Like yourself and many others, I am concerned that the EFCC, which should be beyond repproach,has lost credibility and will eventually become infected by the disease it sought to cure. I realize that the mere perception by a significant amount of Nigerians that the EFCC is a tool of Obasanjo’s has defeated the very reasonit was created. Anyway, we all have to start somewhere and stumble and fall. As a believer in the relevancy of institutions for the development and strengthening of democracy and democratic principles, I can only hope that future governments will not shy away from the need to tackle corruption via institutions that are stronger and better than EFCC.