Chief Charles Nwodo, former National Chairman of de-registered Progressive Action Congress (PAC), has appealed to the National Assembly to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) in the interest of the nation.<\/p>\n
Nwodo made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.<\/p>\n
He stressed the need for the lawmakers to re-visit the PIB with patriotic zeal, as the oil industry was the backbone of Nigeria\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n
According to him, the delay in passing the bill will further encourage cabals to thrive without let or hindrance.<\/p>\n
“World wide, the oil industry has rules and regulations guiding exploration, exploitation and marketing of products in the industry.<\/p>\n
“The NNPC today, is enmeshed in the controversy of mismanagement because a comprehensive oil bill is not in place,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He expressed regret that Nigeria was the only country in the world where crude oil theft is the order of the day and “culprits go scot free”.<\/p>\n
He attributed the situation to the lack of comprehensive laws to regulate the oil industry and other sectors that were critical to the growth of the nation\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n
“Shying away from passing the PIB can only do more harm than good, given the situation in the country.<\/p>\n
“I also subscribe to the fact that the oil minister should not be the only one saddled with all the responsibilities in the oil industry for transparency and accountability,” he said.<\/p>\n
He expressed the belief that realistic laws would enthrone checks and balances, in addition to transparency and accountability necessary for the survival of the industry.<\/p>\n
Nwodo also advocated the enactment of a law to stipulate severe punishments for crude oil thieves and frauds as sanity was needed in the oil industry.<\/p>\n
He said further that the bill should deal with environmental factors affecting oil exploration and safety of the host communities.<\/p>\n
He also urged the lawmakers to rise above sectional politics in order to pass the bill without further delay.<\/p>\n
According to him, the proceeds from the oil industry should be made to serve the interest of the entire country.<\/p>\n
He underscored the use of e-governance as information and communication technology was imperative for oversight functions, including probes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chief Charles Nwodo, former National Chairman of de-registered Progressive Action Congress (PAC), has appealed to the National Assembly to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) in the interest of the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8885,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n