The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, on Tuesday disclosed that the National Assembly has shifted the deliberation on the Petroleum Industry Bill till next year.
Sylva while speaking with newsmen at the Joint Executive-Legislature Leadership Retreat at the Presidential Villa Banquet Hall in Abuja, noted that the lawmakers need to work on the 2021 Appropriation Bill.
The Minister further stated that the 2021 Appropriation Bill is one reason why the deliberation on the PIB was shifted.
He added that members of the National Assembly 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 noted that the bill would be passed in the first quarter of 2021 because there is consensus around the passage of the PIB.
