The Deputy Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Peter Akpatason, has blamed the rejection of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) over the years on high level of politics, and other vested interests against it.
The bill, which was intended to address obsolete issues and the multiplicity of existing laws and regulations governing Nigeria’s petroleum industry, had repeatedly faced challenges in being enacted as law.
Akpatason over the weekend described that bill as “the most politicised in the National Assembly, even from the 7th National Assembly”.
According to the lawmaker, who have vast understanding of the sector, with background as a former leader of one of the prominent trade unions in the industry, “it (the PIB), is such a highly politicised project, all the way form the executive (arm of government) from where it emanated and the National Assembly”.
Noting that the bill was facing a lot of obstacles, Akpatason said “the multinationals formed a block of interest, politics is also there, the refining segment is there, and marketers are also involved. These are people with high level of power to manipulate anything in this country”.
He said the only way out was for the executive and the legislature to be genuinely committed and collectively engage experts in the sector, “if not the PIB will not work. We must depoliticise the bill for it to see the light of the day”.
The chairman of the House of Representatives Press Corps, Grace Ike had earlier at the interactive session tasked the lawmaker, to as one of the leaders of the house, ensure that people-friendly legislations are initiated in the 9th assembly of the house, as well as run an open legislature with a view to gaining citizens’ confidence, and change of bad public perception of the legislature.