Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Hon. Emmanuel Jime, from Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency of Benue State, is very much at home with the ongoing moves to reform the petroleum industry in the country. He was part of the Sixth Assembly, which tried to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) but failed. Earlier in the present dispensation, he initiated a private member bill on the same subject but had to pause in order to allow the executive take the initiative. In this interview, Jime tells Onwuka Nzeshi that the perceived opposition to the PIB by some legislators of Northern origin is misplaced. He also speaks on the on going constitution review and reforms in the power sector
What do you make of the Petroleum Industry Bill and the seeming opposition of the Northern political elite to its provisions, particularly the host community fund?
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