The Senate has fixed October 20, 2020, for the commencement of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) debate.
President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, revealed this on Thursday via his Twitter handle.
He said the decision was in line with the resolve to break the jinx on the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), forwarded by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly last week.
“If we are able to take the debate, pass the PIB for second reading and refer the document to our Joint Committees on Petroleum (Upstream and Downstream); and Gas, the committee can keep work on the PIB warm, while we are working on the budget,” the Senate President added.
“Our Joint Committee must do everything possible for us to have a document or report that we would work within the Senate and something that Nigerians and investors will be happy with”.
The first reading of the PIB was on September 30, 2020, heard on the floor of the Senate.
The bill was one of the six bills introduced to the upper chamber.
The first reading comes after the bill was transmitted to the National Assembly.
Senate Leader, Abdullahi Yahaya, presented the bill, and after it was read, Ahmad Lawan, the Senate President, directed that full copies of the bill be distributed to all the lawmakers ahead of the second reading where details of the bill will be discussed.
