Reps to pass PIB, electoral act within two weeks, says Gbaja

Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, says the lower legislative chamber will pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and the electoral act amendment bill before its summer break.

The lawmakers are expected to embark on an annual recess on the 15 of July.

Since 2008, successive administrations and national assemblies have failed to pass the legislation due to its complexities and divergent interests.

On the electoral amendment act, efforts to get the bill signed into law by the eighth national assembly under Bukola Saraki was futile as President Muhammadu Buhari declined assent — three times.

But the present assembly said it is committed to passing the two bills.

Speaking during a plenary session on Tuesday, Gbajabiamila said the green chamber would pass its version of the bills before the “summer break”.

“It is an important piece of legislation, and we need to pass these two before we leave for the summer break,” he said.

“There is so much to do. It is going to be a heavy load, including the supplementary budget.

“Two weeks is a very short time, but we must do this work, we must do it thoroughly.”

The speaker said the leadership of the house of representatives would meet next Tuesday with the ad hoc committee on PIB “to tidy up some things” on the bill.

He said Mele Kyari, group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), will also brief stakeholders on the bill on Wednesday.