Again, PIB suffers setback in Senate

Less than two months after debate on the Petroleum Industry and Governance Bill suffered a setback in the Senate, the controversial bill had again been stood down in the legislative house.

Recall that the bill was stood down in late April because copies of the document, meant to be presented for second reading, were not available to lawmakers.

But at Wednesday’s plenary, the bill was withdrawn after it was introduced by Bala Ibn Na’Allah, the deputy majority leader, despite the presence of the sponsor, Tayo Alasoadura.

Although no official reason was given for standing down the bill, BusinessDay gathered that this might not be unconnected with conflicting interests that want some aspects of the bill tinkered with in their favour.

The PIB was first introduced in the National Assembly in 2008 as an executive bill by the late president, Umar Yar’Adua. However, the sixth National Assembly (2007–2011) failed to pass it. It was re-introduced in 2012 by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

In June 2015, 47 out of the 360 members of the House of Representatives in the seventh Assembly (2011–2015) were present when the bill was passed a few hours to the end of their tenure. But the bill failed to get a concurrent passage from the Senate.

Also at yesterday’s plenary, the Senate summoned Chris Ngige, minister of employment and productivity, to explain Federal Government’s order to revoke “the licences of recalcitrant banks” over mass sack of workers.

This followed a Point of Order raised by Rafiu Ibrahim, chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions.

Speaking to Nigerian journalists at the ongoing 105^th session of the International Labour Congress (ILC), in Geneva, Switzerland, Ngige had warned that government would withdraw the operating licence of any bank that breached its directive to stop mass sack of workers.

But commenting on the development, Ibrahim said: “We want to invite the minister, the central bank and the banks to know if they are talking at all about retrenchment and what will happen because all the banks in Nigeria are private companies or quoted companies. So, we want to know the basis of the directives and know the basis of the threat.”

In his response, Saraki ordered the labour minister to appear before the Ibrahim-led panel, alongside CBN and deposit money banks.

 

OWEDE AGBAJILEKE