Senate passes redrafted PIG Bill for Buhari’s assent

The Senate, on Thursday, passed the redrafted version of the Petroleum Industry Governance (PIG) Bill 2019.

The passage followed the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan’s reintroduction of the redrafted bill at a plenary presided over by Senate President Bukola Saraki in Abuja.

It was reported that President Muhammadu Buhari had, in exercising his powers in accordance with provisions of 1999 Constitution, declined assent to the bill, raising some observations.

Lawan noted that a technical committee of the Senate had worked on Buhari’s observations and redrafted the affected clauses.

Having rely or order 88(b)(c), the redrafted clauses were committed to the Committee of Whole for legislative consideration and passage.

The committee, chaired by Saraki, therefore, approved the clause-by-clause consideration of the bill.

The bill, which has generated controversies among Nigerians, has also been passed by the House of Representatives on Thursday.

The redrafted bill will, again, be transmitted by the National Assembly to Buhari for his assent.

It was reported that the Senate, in March, adopted the report of Technical Committee on Declined Assent to Bills chaired by Sen. David Umaru, which worked on Mr President’s observations and redrafted the affected clauses in the bill.