Oil workers slam N/Assembly over handling of PIB
Workers in the nation’s oil sector on Thursday criticised the manner in which members of the National Assembly are handing the all-important Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) particularly the delay in its passage, saying this is blocking new investments in the sector with negative impacts on the economy.
The oil workers are also insisting that the National Assembly ensures that the provisions of the PIB covers not only agencies and companies created under the proposed law but all companies operating in the petroleum sector.
The workers under the auspices of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) speaking on the platform of NUPENGASSAN, also want the processes involved in enacting transparent.
At the joint news conference in Lagos on Thursday, president of PENGASSAN, Babatunde Ogun, supported
Workers in the nation’s oil sector on Thursday criticised the manner in which members of the National Assembly are handing the all-important Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) particularly the delay in its passage, saying this is blocking new investments in the sector with negative impacts on the economy.
The oil workers are also insisting that the National Assembly ensures that the provisions of the PIB covers not only agencies and companies created under the proposed law but all companies operating in the petroleum sector.
The workers under the auspices of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) speaking on the platform of NUPENGASSAN, also want the processes involved in enacting transparent.
At the joint news conference in Lagos on Thursday, president of PENGASSAN, Babatunde Ogun, supported by Igwe Achese, president of NUPENG, noted that the PIB proposes to exclude the successor companies to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) from the operations of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) and Public Procurement Act (PPA).
He said these laws were enacted to check inherent corruption and misappropriation of funds in public organisations and as such should apply to all government agencies especially those within the petroleum industry.
He observed that subjecting the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) successor companies to the FRA and PPA will allow for transparency, probity and accountability in managing the organisations.
He also called for a shorter timeframe for approval by FRA and PPA, saying this will take away bureaucratic bottleneck. The two called to question the provision of the PIB granting the president “discretionary powers” to award petroleum licences and leases, saying this should not be allowed as it will encourage more corruption in the oil sector.
“One of the major areas of grave concern about Nigeria’s petroleum industry has been the opaque nature of the industry. Many processes and activities are shrouded in mystery that controversies usually arise even amongst government agencies on matters such as the country’s daily production or revenue arising therefrom. We have also had occasions when Nigerian presidents and their petroleum ministers award lucrative oil blocs to themselves or their conies.
“It is commendable that the PIB provides that agencies and companies established under the proposed law should be bound by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. However, to ensure greater transparency, it is important that the provision covers not only the agencies and companies created under the PIB, but all companies in the petroleum sector,” Ogun stated.
JOSHUA BASSEY