The National Assembly has postponed its resumption of plenary formerly slated for Tuesday, January 26. Both Chambers of the Assembly are now to commence sitting on Tuesday, February 9. According to a statement by the Clerk to the National Assembly, the postponement is to enable members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), participate in the party’s membership registration and revalidation exercise. It will be recalled that the APC announced that it would conduct the exercise in electoral wards nationwide between the end of January until early March.
Meanwhile, the Senate commenced a 2-day public hearing on the Petroleum Industry Bill, 2020 on Monday, January 25. In his remarks at the hearing, President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, assured that the bill would be passed by the first quarter of 2021. The House of Representatives is also conducting a similar public hearing on the bill on January 27 and 28. The executive bill was presented to the National Assembly in September 2020. It passed first and second readings in the Senate by October 2020 and passed second reading in the House of Representatives in November 2020.
This all-important bill has generated interest in several quarters as it seeks to introduce reforms in an industry that accounts for the majority of Nigeria’s revenue and foreign exchange earnings. Previous legislative Assemblies attempted to pass the bill since its introduction in 2008, to no avail. Anticipation mounts as Nigerians await the outcome of the 9th Assembly’s consideration of the bill.