Deliberations on the Petroleum Industry Bill by the National Assembly has been shifted to the first quarter of next year , the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources , Timipre Sylva, has said .
At the sidelines of the Joint Executive -Legislature Leadership Retreat at the Presidential Villa Banquet Hall in Abuja , Sylva told journalists that the National Assembly said they need to work on the 2021 Appropriation Bill .
This, according to him , was one reason why deliberations on the PIB had to be shifted , adding that the lawmakers explained that the 2021 Appropriation Bill needed to be ready before January next year .
“ What the National Assembly has told us in our engagement with them is that the PIB , which is a very important piece of law , is coming at a time when they will be considering the Appropriation Bill , ” the minister said .
He added , “ And you know that this Appropriation Bill will be passed before the first of January. ”
“ So , they have to focus on the Appropriation Bill at this time . I think that is going to delay deliberations on the PIB till the first quarter of next year . ”
Sylva expressed the belief that the bill would be passed in the first quarter of next year because there was consensus around the passage of the PIB
