…State Police bill scales 2nd reading
The House of Representatives yesterday passed through third reading the Petroleum Industry Bill, (PIB), in outright disregard for the demand of the 17 Southern Governors and South-South region for the reversal of 30% share for exploration of frontier basins and 3% or 5% host community trust fund.
Recall that the House last week considered and adopted the 318 clauses report of the ad-hoc Committee on the PIB, chaired by the House Chief Whip, Mohammed Mongunu.
The Green Chamber, unlike Senate that provided for 3%, approved 5% operating cost by oil companies to the Host Community Development Trust Fund, as against section 240 ( 2) of the draft Bill that prescribed 2.5% for that purpose.
It equally approved 30% of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) profit-share for exploration of frontier basins; such as Lake Chad, Benue trough, Anambra, Dahomey (Lagos) and Gombe Basins.
Despite these demands, the House at plenary, unilaterally passed the PIB, as it was lumped together with six other Bills and put to voice vote with the majority answering in affirmative.
The House of Representatives also yesterday passed a Bill seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow the creation of State Police and legalise regional security outfits for second reading.
Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, Onofiok Luke, who sponsored the Bill, said in the explanatory note that the bill seeks to alter the Constitution “to provide for State Police and other state government security services to enhance security and preservation of lives and properties in Nigeria”.
The Bill especially proposes an amendment to Section 197(1) by inserting new Paragraphs ‘e’ and ‘f’ to provide for ‘State Police Council’ and ‘State Police Service Commission,’ respectively.
