A panel of analysts on our breakfast show Sunrise debated whether the latest draft of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is ready to passed into law or not and divergent views were expressed with calls made for more engagement for the bill.
An energy expert, Mr Zaka Bala claimed the PIB that was recently submitted by the federal government is good to be passed into law however a human right activist; Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri argued that a whole lot still needs to be reviewed in the latest draft.
According to the Mrs Ibezim-Ohaeri who is the director of Spaces for Change, “a number of issues such as addressing the issue of environmental pollution by oil companies and Petroleum Equalisation Fund were not properly address in the new bill.”
She also alleged that a section of the bill permits the regulator of the sector to accept gifts from the oil companies, noting that this is asking the regulator to open to bribe-taking
The latest draft of the PIB is currently with the National Assembly, where deliberations are on-going ahead of its planned signing to law.
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