President Muhammadu Buhari has commenced implementation of the newly signed Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by approving a steering committee to oversee the process, a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, has said.
The steering committee is headed by the Honourable Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
Other members are: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Group Managing Director, NNPC, Executive Chairman, FIRS, Representative of the Ministry of Justice, Representative of the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Natural Resources, Barrister Olufemi Lijadu as External Legal Adviser, while the Executive Secretary, Petroleum Technology Development Fund, will serve as Head of the Coordinating Secretariat and the Implementation Working Group.
The primary responsibility of the steering committee shall be to guide the effective and timely implementation of the PIA in the course of transition to the petroleum industry envisaged in the reform program, and ensure that the new institutions created have the full capability to deliver on their mandate under the new legislation.
The committee has 12 months duration for the assignment, and periodic updates will be given to Mr President.
The implementation begin against the backdrop of heavy criticisms by stakeholders, including a call by the Governors’ Forum for amendments.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a statement, had berated President Muhammadu Buhari for ignoring the outcry by Nigerians across board not to sign the offensive, repugnant and anti-people Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), as passed by the National Assembly, into law.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said further in the statement: “The party notes that the signing of the law, despite widespread public rejection, amounts to endorsement of imposition and further confirms that President Buhari and his All Progressives Congress (APC) have no iota of respect for the people as well as the tenets of democracy as a system of government.
“By his action, President Buhari has only authenticated that he is not a listening leader and that the APC and its leaders are only out to trample on the will of Nigerians for their selfish interests.
“In putting his hands to endorse the obnoxious bill, even with its distasteful, paltry and provocative 3% revenue to oil producing communities, President Buhari and the APC have again displayed disdain and insensitivity to the sufferings of the people of the Niger Delta.
“The PDP holds that such is the height of contemot to oil producing communities, particularly in the face of the challenges which they face as a result of oil exploration.
“Noting that Mr. President could have returned the bill to the National Assembly with a request that it is made to address the demands of the oil producing communities, our party fears that the new law cannot guarantee the desired stability and development in the oil and gas sector as well as respite in the Niger Delta region.
“If anything, the Act as signed by President Buhari is a dangerous recipe for avoidable crisis in the sector.
The PDP calls on President Buhari to salvage the situation by immediately forwarding an amendment bill to the National Assembly to reflect the true wishes and aspirations of every segment of our nation.
“While calling for calm across the country, particularly the South-South geo-political zone, the PDP also charges lawmakers elected on its platform to be at alert even as preparation must be commenced for an urgent amendment to this law.”