The Senate has faulted a statement attributed to the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, claiming that the National Assembly had shifted legislative works on the Petroleum Industry Bill to 2021.
The Minister had reportedly claimed that the National Assembly members said they needed enough time to work on the 2021 Appropriation Bill.
However, the spokesperson for the Senate, Dr Ajibola Basiru, told journalists in Abuja that the lawmakers would go ahead with the PIB consideration as scheduled.
He said, “The Senate is committed to expeditious passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill because it is central to getting the realisation of the revenue and putting our oil in competitive international market.
“On the 20th of October, the Petroleum Industry Bill will enter second reading after which it will be sent to the relevant committees – petroleum upstream, downstream and gas.
READ ALSO: FG obtains 1,000 petrol-gas conversion kits, deploys nationwide
“As work is being done on 2021 Appropriation, work will be done at the same time on Petroleum Industry Bill.”
Basiru said copies of the 2021 budget would be made available to senators latest by Monday.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva had revealed that deliberations on the Petroleum Industry Bill by the National Assembly have been shifted to the first quarter of next year.
At the sidelines of the Joint Executive-Legislature Leadership Retreat at the Presidential Villa Banquet Hall in Abuja, Sylva told journalists that the National Assembly said they need to work on the 2021 Appropriation Bill.
This, according to him, was one reason why deliberations on the PIB had to be shifted, adding that the lawmakers explained that the 2021 Appropriation Bill needed to be ready before January next year.
