PIB: South-West Govs, Senators, Reps Meet In Abuja Tuesday

Barring any last-minute change in plan, the six governors in the
South-West geopolitical zone will meet the Senators and House of
Representatives members from the zone in Abuja on Tuesday to
discuss the recently passed Petroleum Industry Bill and the
Electoral Act Amendment Bill which will be debated on the floor of
the Senate during plenary on Tuesday.

Governors expected at the meeting include Rotimi Akeredolu
(Ondo), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Seyi Makinde
(Oyo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos).

A member of the Senate from the zone, Opeyemi Bamidele; and a
member of the House from the zone, Olufemi Fakeye, announced the
meeting in a statement on Monday.

The statement was titled, ‘Urgent Meeting Of South West
Governors With Senators And Hon. Members From The South West’.

It reads, “Dear Distinguished Senators and Honourable
Members;

“We are directed by the Leadership of the South West Caucus in
the National Assembly to communicate the invitation of South West
Governors to an urgent meeting of the Governors with Distinguished
Senators and Hon. Members of the House of Representatives as
follows:

“Date: Tuesday, 6th July, 2021.

“Time: 7pm

“Venue: Osun Hall, Transcorp Hilton, Maitama, Abuja.

“Agenda: PIB, Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, A. O. B.”

The announcement of the meeting was made after 17 Southern
governors, on Monday, rejected the proposed allocation of at least
30 per cent of the profit generated by the proposed Nigerian
National Petroleum Company Limited for the exploration of oil in
‘frontier basins’ as identified by Section 9 of the recently passed
PIB.

The bill will regulate the oil sector if signed by the
President, Muhammadu Buhari.

Although the proposed law doesn’t identify the frontier basins,
a statement by the President in 2019 identified the frontier basins
as Chad Basin, Gongola Basin, Sokoto Basin, Dahomey Basin, Bida
Basin, Benue Trough, amongst others.

Currently, crude oil is obtained from eight states in the Niger
Delta region which include: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo,
Imo, Ondo and Rivers States.

The recently passed PIB has been heavily criticised by
stakeholders in Southern Nigeria with the Pan-Niger Delta Forum
describing its provisions as “unjust, satanic and provocative”.

Barring any last-minute change in plan, the six governors in the
South-West geopolitical zone will meet the Senators and House of
Representatives members from the zone in Abuja on Tuesday to
discuss the recently passed Petroleum Industry Bill and the
Electoral Act Amendment Bill which will be debated on the floor of
the Senate during plenary on Tuesday.

Governors expected at the meeting include Rotimi Akeredolu
(Ondo), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Seyi Makinde
(Oyo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos).

A member of the Senate from the zone, Opeyemi Bamidele; and a
member of the House from the zone, Olufemi Fakeye, announced the
meeting in a statement on Monday.

The statement was titled, ‘Urgent Meeting Of South West
Governors With Senators And Hon. Members From The South West’.

It reads, “Dear Distinguished Senators and Honourable
Members;

“We are directed by the Leadership of the South West Caucus in
the National Assembly to communicate the invitation of South West
Governors to an urgent meeting of the Governors with Distinguished
Senators and Hon. Members of the House of Representatives as
follows:

“Date: Tuesday, 6th July, 2021.

“Time: 7pm

“Venue: Osun Hall, Transcorp Hilton, Maitama, Abuja.

“Agenda: PIB, Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, A. O. B.”

The announcement of the meeting was made after 17 Southern
governors, on Monday, rejected the proposed allocation of at least
30 per cent of the profit generated by the proposed Nigerian
National Petroleum Company Limited for the exploration of oil in
‘frontier basins’ as identified by Section 9 of the recently passed
PIB.

The bill will regulate the oil sector if signed by the
President, Muhammadu Buhari.

Although the proposed law doesn’t identify the frontier basins,
a statement by the President in 2019 identified the frontier basins
as Chad Basin, Gongola Basin, Sokoto Basin, Dahomey Basin, Bida
Basin, Benue Trough, amongst others.

Currently, crude oil is obtained from eight states in the Niger
Delta region which include: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo,
Imo, Ondo and Rivers States.

The recently passed PIB has been heavily criticised by
stakeholders in Southern Nigeria with the Pan-Niger Delta Forum
describing its provisions as “unjust, satanic and provocative”.