PIB: Northern, Southern Senators poised for battle

BY Henry Umoru

ABUJA—THERE are strong indications that the Upper chamber of the National Assembly will witness a stormy session soon as Senators from the North and South are poised to do battle when resumed discussions on the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB come up.

A Bill for an Act to provide for Establishment of a Legal, Fiscal and Regulatory Framework for the Petroleum Industry in Nigeria and for other Related Matters is presently before the National Assembly for deliberation after President Goodluck Jonathan forwarded the Bill to the lawmakers last year.

It will be recalled that before the lawmakers went on recess last year, discussions on the Bill never came up, but the Senate, when it resumed, tried to look at it, just as it failed to progress with the second reading against the backdrop that Northern Senators kicked against it.