The Senate's debate on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) yesterday sparked a rift between northern senators and their counterparts from the Niger Delta region.
The second reading of the bill witnessed a technical hitch as all the senators in the chamber first observed that copies of the lead debate given to them were different from what Senate Leader Ndoma-Egba was reading. Senate President David Mark quickly asked Ndoma-Egba to hold on for 10 minutes for the errors to be corrected.
After the lead debate was finally read, Mark asked if there was any senator from Borno and Yobe states that would like to contribute to the debate.
Senator Alkali Jajare (PDP, Yobe South) rose up to say a lot of issues in the bill ought to be streamlined. He specifically faulted the provisions seeking additional 10 percent revenue for oil-producing communities and the "wild and excessive" powers proposed for the petroleum minister.
Senator Ahmed Lawan (ANPP, Yobe North) said he supported the bill with "massive reservation" because Section 9 of the bill, rather than addresses the needs of Nigerians, merely makes oil-producing states to see other states as parasitic states.
"We must search for oil wherever we can find it. Oil should be explored across the nation. Development should be targeted at people. How can certain states, after taking about N11 trillion in the name of derivation for 10 years tell us they haven't got enough? So far, the NNDC has got N2.8trn, amnesty programme in the Niger Delta has just gulped N250bn enough; while the north has got nothing. Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere. There should be no provision for the Host Community Fund in this bill. Those of us from non-oil producing states are tired. Nigeria belongs to us all and the oil belongs to Nigerians," Lawan said.
Senator Lawan drew the ire of Niger Delta senators when he cited an editorial from ThisDay newspapers which linked the lack of development in the region to the failure of the state governments there.
Senator James Manager (PDP, Delta South) cut in, saying "Senator Lawan should be careful and conscious of his utterances. How can he say governors in the oil producing states are a failure? Our standing order forbids senators from using insulting language."
Mark quickly waded in, saying "Lawan just quoted a newspaper to say that monies meant for the oil producing communities have been misappropriated and that if this is the case, those governors should be regarded as a failure. Manager, I therefore ruled you out of order."
Senator Heineken Lokpobiri (PDP, Bayelsa) tackled Mark by quoting Order 56 of the Senate Standing Rules which, according to him, forbids senators from reading newspapers on the floor of the Senate. "The Order 53 (2), which Lawan cited, only allows a senator to read extracts from books, not newspapers," Lokpobiri said.
But Mark warned thus "we should allow this debate to flow freely. Lawan can make reference to newspapers as he has done."
Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (PDP, Delta North) argued that some senators were dwelling on the perceived defects of the bill and disregarding its strengths because they were ill-informed. According to him, the 10 percent host community fund will not short-change any state as it is just the net profit of the oil companies emphasised in the bill.
Senator Isa Galaudu (PDP, Kebbi North) out opposed the bill, saying "I disagree that the Host Community Fund won't affect what goes into the Revenue Consolidated Fund. I disagree because it is tax deductable which means that portions of it will short-charge the beneficiaries of the Revenue Consolidated Fund."
Senator Benedict Anyade (PDP, Cross River North), who described the criticisms trailing the bill as both genuine and "icono-political," expressed concern over the perceived failure of oil producing states' governors to justify the spending of the N11trn spent in Niger Delta in the last 10 years.
Anyade however asked his colleagues to rise above emotions and sentiments and allow the 10 percent revenue proposed for the host communities which, according to him, are in deplorable conditions.
Also against the bill on account of the proposed Host Community Fund and the "excessive powers for petroleum minister" are Senators Ibrahim Gobir (PDP, Sokoto East), Danladi Sankara (PDP, Jigawa North-West) and Abubakar Bagudu (PDP, Kebbi Central).
Senator Nkechi Nwaogwu (PDP, Abia) warned that the crisis in the Niger Delta would be escalated if the host communities are denied the proposed 10 percent oil revenue; while Senator Elen Esuene (PDP, Akwa Ibom) simply said that the host communities should not be allowed to suffer.
Senator Bukola Saraki (PDP, Kwara Central) warned against focusing on issues dividing the Senate on the bill, saying though "the bill cannot stand the test of time; we should work on it to make it better. Let's move away from all the controversial issues in the bill."
Comments Post a comment
This debate over Petroleum Industry Bill is uncalled for. States and Communities should be allowed to prospect, produce and market their oil and gas which are their God given natural recources while the FG should tax them. Those parasites States clamouring over oil revenues and the alloctions of oil money should rather borrow a leaf from Anambra and Lagos States.Those two States joined the cadre of oil producing States by investing their State funds in oil and gas explorations. The oil,gas and other mineral resources should belong to the people who own the territory where the minerals are found. The earlier the Federal Government abolished oil block legacies to non-indigenes of oil producing States,Emirs Imams and ex-Generals the better.The oil of the Niger Delta belongs to the people of Niger Delta first and second to the rest of Nigerians through taxations. With all those ubiquitous multitudes of beggars through out the North,one might be tempted to ask where the decades of oil money allocation to the Northern States goes? It seems as if one-Nigeria revolves only on the share of our Niger Delta oil money.But States must be made to survive on its own resources rather than rely solely on handouts from the Federal Government.States that are not viable must be declared bankrupt and merged with viable ones.The Senate should be more concerned about the ongoing Boko Haram mass murder campaign and the ethnic cleansing cum genocide in the Middle-Belt region. Innocent children and their parents are being murdered daily in their sleeps by Hausa/Fulani herdsmen for the fact that they are Christians.Nigerians want a convention of Sovereign National Conference to renegotiate the terms of our cohabitation with the Hausa/Fulani muslims.Our members of our Senate must be reminded that the infamous Lord Lugard's Almagamation that lumped us together with Hausa/Fulani invaders from the Sahara comes to an end this years.Therein was a memorandum of understanding that the North and South could go their Separate ways after 100 years. That the Hausa/Fulani Leadership is calling for amnesty and compensation for their terrorist groups who murder in cold blood their innocent Nigerian compatriots raises some ethical questions.The Hausa/Fulani muslims are like a malignant cancinoma on our nation that must be excised.The call for a Confab must be heeded to is must continue as a united nation.
" ...83% of oil blocks owned by northerners"
.
This is most revealing. Thanks to Senator Enang These same people, the Northern Islamic oligarchs who control the wealth of Nigeria are the ones who whine all the time about "NORTHERN POVERTY". They also whine about losing political power even though key posts are still held by them. One really wonders what they really want.
.
Someone should make these facts known to Clinton and other Americans who feel the "North" is marginalized. They need to know that the same people control the wealth generated by the oil industry but that their priority is not how to develop their area.
.
Worst of all, this wealth is presently used in financing terrorism rather than developing the north or anywhere else. They whine about reflecting federal character only when it sooths them.
.
FEDERAL CHARACTER IN OIL BLOCK ALOCATION IS A WONDERFUL IDEA
.
But the best idea and the best option is to get rid of the parasites. To EXCISE the Sharia North.
.
Let them have their Islamic Taliban republic and begin to work for and pay for those allocations, services and positions that are presently paid for by resources and money from other parts of Nigeria. Let them have their Islamic Taliban republic where they can practice their blood thirsty religion. Let them have their Islamic Taliban republic where they will pay the price for their delinquency. Let them have their Islamic Taliban republic where we can contain them as Israel contains the blood thirst Arab Mohammedans.
.
Now the poor families and educated youth in the region know better where to direct their anger and frustration. They now know the people who use the region to enrich themselves but wickedly deprive the same people. The Federal government should withdraw the JTF so that the masses can deal with the thieves
I think these two commentators were cage breakers from one of the psychiatric hospitals or they are among the most useless good for nothing, furastrated, hopeless and unemployed bastards.If not what bring religion into these matter? Look anybody who became so greedy and selfish destroy himself.Now the north is your common enemy when we divide you would be the worst enemies among yourself because of greedness shortminded and selfishness.Nigeria is a secular state, do your religion as you wish and we do our religion as we wish.I wish you quick recovery, so that you can be useful to society and the nation in general.