THE Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) has been passed by the House of Representatives on the last day of the Seventh House of Representatives.
After the passage of 11 reports and 14 of 15 bills sent for concurrence by the Senate, the House adjournedsine die (indefinitely), barring any unforeseen circumstance.
The Oil and Gas Export Free Zone Act (Amendment) Bill, 2015 passed by the Senate was deleted from the 15 bills sent for concurrence.
The House said there was a need for further scrutiny of the Bill due to its importance on the nation’s economy.
The others scaled second and third reading following the suspension of relevant House Rules.
Taking a cue from the backlash that followed the passage of 46 Bills within minutes by the Senate the previous day, Acting Speaker Emeka Ihedioha said the House must go through the right legislative procedure to pass the bills.
According to him, it was lack of understanding of legislative procedures that resulted in the editorial headlines that greeted Senates passage of the Bills.
He said the Senate was in order but that the House would take its time to ensure that relevant procedures were adhered to.
“It is important the people understand us and that is why we need to explain how we arrived at this juncture.
“What the House is going to do is not unusual, but if any member has a reservation about a particular bill sent for concurrence from the Senate, it is to raise it so that we defer it and pass the rest,” he said.
Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business Albert Sam-Tsokwa said time was not on the side of House but that the House is empowered to suspend relevant rules to address such issue when it occurs.
The bills include the Nigerian Army Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies (Establishment) Bill, National Social Welfare Commission (Establishment) Bill, Labour Safety and Health Bill, Acts Authentication Act, 1962 (Amendment) Bill and Nigerian Football Association Act, Cap. N110, LFN, 2004 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill.
Others are Corporate Manslaughter Bill, 2015; Animal Health and Husbandry Technologists (Registration) Bill, 2015; Criminal Justice (Release from custody) (Special provisions) Amendment Bill, 2015; Border Communities Development Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2015; Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2015; Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan (Fiscal Incentives, Assurances and Guarantees) Bill, 2015; Engineers (Registration, etc) Amendment Bill, 2015 and Proceeds of Crime Bill, 2015.
The bills scaled second and third readings successfully, except one that was deleted.
The 422-clause PIB was also passed after the House ad hoc panel had realigned contentious clauses that had caused several suspensions of the consideration of the bill.
However, no lawmaker opposed the solution found to the contentious clauses by the ad hoc panel as consideration continued from clause 347 to 422.
On the passage of the PIB, Ihedioha said: “We took deliberate steps in passing the third reading of nine bills. These were done painstakingly.
“On PIB, we took our time with an ad hoc committee that was in all the geo-political zones.
“These actions were taken because we believe we have one Nigeria.
“Now, the bulk of the job is left for the Senate, but if they cannot deal with it, we believe that the 8th Assembly would know the extent of work that has gone into it.
Ten other reports were also considered and passed.
At the end of the day’s business, Ihedioha asked the House Leader, Mulikat Akande-Adeola to move for the adjournment of plenary sine die (indefinitely) barring any unforeseen circumstance.
He said the life of the 7th House would terminate on Saturday, June 6, 2015
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