FG fully committed to passage of PIGB, says Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday said that the presidency
was closely working with the National Assembly for the quick
passage of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB).

Osinbajo said this during his keynote address at the 18th
international HSE Biennial conference, organised by the Department
of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Lagos.

According to him, “ we are working closely with the National
Assembly to ensure its timely passage.’’

He said that the reforms proposed in the PIGB “reflects our
collective desire to entrench transparency and sustainability of
oil and gas operations in Nigeria to enable the country finally to
realise the full potential of her hydrocarbon resources’’.

He said: “I am pleased to bring you the warm greetings and
felicitations of President Muhammadu Buhari on this occasion of the
opening ceremony of the 18th International Health Safety and
Environment (HSE) Biennial Conference.

“It is noteworthy that the theme of the conference, which is
centred around sustainability, dovetails seamlessly with this
administration’s vision and policy for the Oil and Gas Industry as
a vehicle for driving the industrialization and growth of the
Nigerian economy in a transparent, responsible and sustainable
manner.

“ As a gathering of all stakeholders in the oil and gas
industry, I am confident that your deliberations will yield
important policies and ideas that will guide government in the
formulation of policies for achieving sustainable development of
our oil and gas resources.

“`It will also serve as a model for our other extractive
industries that are not yet as mature,’’he said.

The Vice President said that no discussion about the future of
the Oil and Gas could be divorced from the Petroleum Industry Bill
(PIB) which represents the most ambitious and comprehensive reform
in decades of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

Osinbajo noted that though varied reactions had trailed Mr
President’s recent decision to return the Petroleum Industry
Governance Bill (PIGB) to the National Assembly for slight
amendments.

He, however, noted that resolving the security challenge in the
Niger Delta remained on the front burner of this administration “as
we seek to create a peaceful business climate that will attract
investors and bring massive development to the oil producing
communities”.

He said that government was sensitive to the genuine agitations
of the host communities for greater participation in and control of
oil and gas resources.

The Vice President noted that the law and order element to the
problem had to be tackled headlong to allow for a peaceful business
environment.

“The proposals in the host community bill currently undergoing
review represent a paradigm shift in the relationship between oil
and gas operators and their host communities.

“And the government in collaboration with state government and
other stakeholders is fully committed to comprehensive reforms that
empower the communities and move them from stakeholders to actual
shareholders and partners in the oil and gas business.

“This will result in the formulation of a comprehensive
livelihood strategy and development plan for the Niger Delta to
complement the efforts of the various interventions by the Federal
Government though the Niger Delta Ministry (NDDC) and the amnesty
programme.

“The Federal Government’s commitment to the ease of doing
business was reflected in the Executive Order 1 signed on May 18,
2017.

“The order had five main planks including: Transparency; Default
Approvals; One Government; Port Operations and Entry Experience of
travellers and visitors. As the mainstay of the Nigerian Economy,
there is a dire need for ease of doing business in the oil and gas
sector.

“The current regime of multiple and sometimes conflicting
regulators/regulations is a serious drawback on the ease of doing
business in the petroleum industry.

“While we continue to seek to resolve these conflicts, using the
instrument of law, I wish to remind the various agencies and
ministries of their primary responsibility to promote efficient
service delivery and serve as the engine room for driving the
collective policy of “one government”.

“I therefore enjoin all the conflicting agencies to close ranks,
fine-tune and improve cooperation and document their resolutions in
binding MOUs that will ease the burden of over-regulation of the
oil and gas sector,’’ he said.

Osinjo said: “I am also pleased to announce to this gathering of
Environmental experts that the government has fully commenced the
clean-up of impacted oil spill sites in the Niger Delta.

“This is a massive undertaking that reflects the government’s
commitment to restoring livelihood in the Niger Delta and deserves
the support of all Nigerians.’’

The vice president, however, appealed to the host communities to
assume greater and more responsible stewardship of oil and gas
infrastructure in their communities even as the government worked
to incentivise their efforts through the host community bill.
(NAN)

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