By Dele Sobowale

“No PIB, no re-election, group warns N’Assembly members.” PUNCH, July 28, 2014.

The Executive Director of the group, calling itself, The Environmental Rights Action/friends of the Earth Nigeria, Dr Godwin Uyi Ojo, was reported to have said that, “We, as civil society groups and as community members, are disappointed in the National Assembly for playing politics with peoples lives. The PIB has been on the desk of our lawmakers since 2009 and another lawmaking session is coming to an end. Yet, the passage of this bill appears not in sight.

“We are worried that the National Assembly is caving in as a result of the blackmail by oil companies who are all out, lobbying against the bill in order to kill it.”

It is not yet clear to me how many members constitute the group making this threat in order to determine whether or not it is credible. But, even if it is a group of one person, Dr Ojo can add my name to the list of members – with one proviso. It is doubtful if any group can prevent the 2015 elections from holding and with “Stomach Infrastructure” now prominently on display everywhere, the cowardly or complaisant politicians, ably supported by hungry Fellow Nigerians – particularly from the Niger Delta and Lagos State – who conspired to kill the PIB will ensure there will be an election. But, PIB2, like PIB 1, will most likely be dead.

At the moment, PIB 2 has less than a twenty per cent chance of being passed before the current National Assembly passes into history in 2015. Dr Ojo appears to blame the oil companies for doing what private companies are established to do – protect the interests of their owners; however that is defined. No Chief Executive of Shell, TOTAL, Mobil, Agip etc will last one day if he fails to defend the company’s position. He might be a Nigerian but he is the manager of a multi-national company and the company’s interests come first. It cannot be otherwise.

“All that is required for evil to triumph is for enough good men to do nothing.”
Unlike Dr Ojo, I have no problem with the oil companies and their lobbyists. They are perfectly in order. And, if I work for Shell or Mobil, rest assured the company will receive my total support. Otherwise, I must honourably resign my appointment.

The real problem is with Nigerians, especially the leaders of the oil producing states, which now includes Lagos; and will soon add Ogun and Anambra/Kogi to the club. The political leaders sit in the front row of the seats labeled “traitors to the peoples cause”. Again, unlike Ojo, I would place, on the same “high table of infamy” the current state governors of the oil producing states.

The PIB is supposed to benefit the oil producing communities more than any other set of beneficiaries in Nigeria. Senators and members of the Federal House of Representatives, as well as State Houses of Assembly Members are each elected by smaller constituencies. Only Governors are elected by all the people of the State, eligible to vote and only the President is elected by the whole country.

At the moment the President of Nigeria is from an oil-producing state and he authorized the PIB 1 and PIB 2 to be sent to the NASS. The Minister for Petroleum Resources is also from the same oil-producing state and she presented the bills to the legislators. All the governors of the oil-producing states certainly must realize what is at stake in this bill for their people.

Dr Ojo, before putting all the blame on the NASS, must honestly ask himself one question. “What steps have been taken by the President, the Minister and the Governors to get this bill passed”? To assist Ojo and “our” group, everybody should watch and see what will happen to the request for $1 billion to beef up our military strength.

That also requires a bill to be passed. It was sent in a few weeks ago, after the NASS had proceeded on its annual leave. Not only will the Presidency move “mountains” (of what? you don’t need to ask) to get the NASS to reconvene, the bill will scale through the first, second and final readings and be passed into law between sunrise and sunset of the same day.

Now what makes the difference between the urgency attaching to the $1 billion bill and PIB? The answer is so simple; it is embarrassing. The major beneficiaries of the $1 billion, meaning the Armed Forces of Nigeria, are already out lobbying every NASS member and they are determined to have the $1 billion; and they will get it. Persistence and force will secure for them what they want. And no single person in uniform, plus others retired, but contractors, will allow themselves to be persuaded to oppose the request.

By contrast, the “bloody civilians”, in Government houses, are not even united, neither are they TOTALLY dedicated to getting PIB passed. I know because I wrote to four governors of oil-producing states over four months ago, warning them that they should work with me to push the PIB 2 Bill before the NASS goes on recess – otherwise PIB 2 will go the way of PIB 1. Why? Because in 2014 as in 2010, by the time the NASS returns from its annual leave INEC would have flagged off the election primaries.

There after, no serious bill, especially one as complex as PIB, can expect to receive the full attention of our lawmakers. PIB 1 died before December 2010 and not on May 29, 2011. Again, I should know; because when in February 2011, President Jonathan promised the Turkish President that he will sign the PIB by May of 2011, I replied in my Sunday column in the VANGUARD that “the President of Nigeria will have no bill to sign by May 2011”. Well, there was no bill to sign in 2011. There might still be no PIB for the President to sign by May 2015 unless…

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