Tag Archives: Consider

Senate Will Reconvene To Consider Ministerial List- Saraki

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The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has assured that members of the Red Chamber will reconvene  any time before the adjourned date to consider any matter of urgent national importance or to attend to any national assignment requiring its attention, especially the nomination of ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He made this clarification in a statement released by his media team.

“The adjournment of Senate’s plenary to July 21, 2015, was meant to give the Senate Ad-Hoc Committees on Legislative Agenda and Review of the Senate’s Finances time to conclude their work and submit their reports. The two committees were given one-week to submit their reports. However, the Senate assured that it will reconvene at any time before the adjourned date to consider any matter of urgent national importance or to attend to any national assignment requiring its attention,” the statement reads.

Read More: vanguardngr

Consider Merit Not Political Patronage In Ministerial Appointments, NANS To Buhari

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The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Wednesday urged President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to base his ministerial appointments on merit. This is contained in a statement issued by NANS and made available to newsmen in Abuja. The statement implored that national interest should be placed ahead of party sentiments and considerations.

It said that Buhari should go for technocrats with track records who could collectively bring Nigeria out of its present predicament. “NANS has observed with reservations the intense jostling and lobbying for ministerial and other appointments and deemed it wise to offer a word of advice to the President-elect. “In as much as we recognise that the President-elect came onboard on the platform of a political party, politics should not be allowed to take pre-eminence over national interest.

“NANS, therefore, urge the President-elect to ensure that the ministerial appointments are based on merit—persons with proven record of probity, technocrats, and persons with sound leadership skills are what we look forward to,’’ the statement said. It stated that Buhari could only succeed in turning Nigeria around if his team was well-selected and well-meaning. The statement said that Nigerian students were expectant that the President-elect would deliver on his campaign promises.

Credit: vanguardngr

Reps To Consider Petroleum Industry Bill Next Week

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Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, says the House will commence consideration of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) next week.

Ihedioha, who presided over the plenary on Tuesday in Abuja, disclosed this to the lawmakers. He said that copies of the report from the ad hoc committee on PIB were circulated to lawmakers for perusal.

It will be recalled that the Chairman of the Ad hoc Committee on PIB, Rep. Ishaku Bawa, (PDP-Taraba) submitted the report of the committee’s assignment to the House in March 2015.

The committee had scrutinised 363 sections and annexure of the original bill and made some amendments and recommendations.

The public hearings conducted by the 23-member ad hoc committee in all the geo-political zones provided opportunities for stakeholders to make their contributions to the bill.

The bill, which covered salient areas, is to ensure the establishment of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund and incorporation of National Gas Company.

Others are the establishment of Petroleum Directorate and National Asset Management Company as well as imposition of new tax regime such as Nigeria Carbon Tax.

The committee in its report recommended the removal of Section 191 of the bill, which gave the president discretionary powers to grant petroleum licenses.

However, the amendment recommended is proposing bidding process for the award of licenses.

Other amended areas include Section 174 which recommended that 30 per cent of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) shares be sold through public offers at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

It further amended Section 185, which proposed that 49 per cent of Nigerian Gas Company shares be sold through public offers at the stock exchange.

Under Section 116, the Petroleum Host Community Fund was created to benefit host communities of oil facilities and installations.

The committee retained environmental remediation funds under Section 203, which obligates petroleum investors to pay adequate compensation for the remediation of environmental damages.

Three conventional licensing systems, namely petroleum exploration license, petroleum prospecting license and petroleum mining leases were retained in sections 225 and 229.

The House of Representatives in November 15, 2012 constituted the ad hoc committee on PIB with the mandate to look into the bill and make recommendations toward passing the bill.

The bill will provide legal, fiscal and regulatory framework for the development of the country’s oil and gas industry.

Credit: NAN