Buhari, Kachikwu split Petroleum Industry Bill into four

Maikanti Baru, group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), says the corporation has split the Petroleum Industry Bill into four — for  easy passage into law.

Baru disclosed this on Tuesday, while speaking at the Department of State Services’ (DSS) Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) in Abuja.

He said the splitting was done under the leadership of Ibe Kachikwu, minister of state for petroleum resources, and President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said the action was taken to allow the national assembly deliver on the promise of “speedy passage”.

Speaking on the theme ‘Executive-Legislative Relations: Gaps, Challenges and Prospects’, Baru said a cordial relationship between both arms of government will help Nigeria deliver on set goals.

“Executive-Legislative discord sometimes heightens domestic sensitivity to the extent that institutions’ performance is affected. Executive-Legislative relationship is very crucial for attaining good governance and delivery of democratic dividends,” he said.

“Government agencies will flourish well when all efforts are harmonised and aligned within government’s overall objective. Government business, such as the NNPC will benefit a lot from a constructive executive-legislative interplay.

“NNPC management under the leadership of Dr. Ibe Kachikwu with the support of President Muhammadu Buhari have split the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) into four segments.”

On the state of the PIB, Baru appreciated the “legislature’s immeasurable significance in our day-to-day activities and operations”.

“Today, NNPC has a full department on national assembly, headed by a general manager which shows its dedication to managing relationship between the NNPC and the national assembly,” he said.

“Today, about eight core national assembly committees, 11 non-core committees and two ad-hoc committees perform oversight functions over NNPC. Also, the exceptional understanding and cordial relationship with this current national assembly led to our exit of the JV Cash call exit programme.

“The cordial relationship between us the national assembly resulted in the speedy passage of the Local Content Law in 2010, sponsored by NNPC through a member’s bill.

“We’re currently working with the national assembly to ensure the passage of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB).”