13 February 2013, Sweetcrude, Abuja – – Ahead of discussions on the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, by the Senate, senators from the southern part of the country under the aegis of Southern Senators’ Forum, have concluded arrangements to engage the services of a team of experienced consultants.
It was gathered that at the end of the closed door meeting of the Senators from South East, South West and South South at Hearing Room 1, Tuesday, the Senators asked its Committee headed by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum, Upstream, Senator Emmanuel Paulker, PDP, (Bayelsa Central) to go for very experienced consultants who will study the document and then advise the Southern Senators’ Forum.
A source at the end of the meeting said the Committee will submit the report of its findings to the Forum which would sharpen the line of argument of the lawmakers when the Bill is being discussed at the plenary.
Before the Senators went into the closed door session, Chairman of the Southern Senators’ Forum, Senator James Manager, PDP, Delta South told Journalists that the Southern lawmakers were not in competition with their counterparts from the North who have a similar body, adding that the Southern Senators were not scrambling for anything against the backdrop that the zones have everything they can boast of.
He also said that issues to be discussed at the meeting were Constitution Amendment and PIB.
A source at the meeting said the Senators could not discuss much except for the assignment given to Senator Paulker’s Committee.
Present at yesterday’s meeting were Senators Hope Uzodinma, PDP, Imo West; Oluremi Tinubu, ACN, Lagos Central; Olushola Adeyeye, ACN, Osun Central; Magnus Abe, PDP, Rivers South-East; Pius Akpor Ewherido, DPP, Delta Central; Benedict Ayade, PDP, Cross River North; Babafemi Ojudu, ACN, Ekiti Central; Ayogu Eze, PDP, Enugu North; Heineken Lokpobiri: Boluwaji Kunlere, Clever Ikisikpo, PDP, Bayelsa East, among others.