Tambuwal Gives PIB Panel 21-day Ultimatum To Submit Report — Sep 17, 2014 The speaker, House of Representatives , Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, yesterday, gave the Ishaka Bawa-led Adhoc Committee on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) a 21-day ultimatum to submit a report. Tambuwal gave the directive at plenary while declaring open the fourth legislative session of the 7th Assembly just as a PIB cash- for-passag e allegation filtered round the National Assembly (NASS). It was alleged that the ministry of petroleum and the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) were being asked for cash to ensure the PIB’s passage, an allegation the House leadership dispelled. “You don’t need anybody to give you a dime to do your job,” the deputy House leader, Leo Ogor, declared in response to the allegations. “I am giving you my assurance vis-a-vis that of the Speaker that the PIB will be passed. Final touches have been put into that bill and I want to also state that I’m not aware that anybody is asking anybody for a dime. You don’t need anybody to give you a dime to do your job. “Our oath of allegiance is to the Constitution of Nigeria, vis-à-vis the fact that we are lawmakers. So if somebody is going to be asking for money before doing his own job, then that is an aberration. I doubt it sincerely. I hope it’s not some kind of cheap blackmail,” Ogor said. Meanwhile, Tambuwal in his remarks reported that although the election year 2015 is still unborn as far as the prescriptions of the Electoral Act and INEC Regulations and Guidelines are concerned, “for some, desperation has already taken over.” He called for “due regard” to the serious security challenge of insurgency and terrorism and the general volatile political atmosphere. “The people should be our prime focus because without the people, there will be no country and therefore nothing to represent or to govern,” Tambuwal said, and described the security situation in the North East as “alarming” and of “grave concern.” “It is a matter for grave concern that the insurgency in the North Eastern states of the country has graduated from sporadic acts of violence to an alarming situation where acquisition of territory has become the main focus, thus threatening our territorial integrity. This, therefore, calls for decisive action. The Nigerian Armed Forces have exhibited great sense of patriotism in the past towards the protection of our territorial integrity just as they are doing in the present circumstance and that invaluable selflessness must not be in vain. “In this regard I seize this opportunity to once again commend our military and the security agencies for their gallant determination in flushing out insurgency. Our troops need full kitting, equipment and motivation that meets current international standards so as to insulate them from avoidable loss of lives and also to meet the force of the offensive. Let me assure them that the House of Representatives will meet all its obligations in that regard, Tambuwal stated. He welcomed the proposal by the federal government to establish a Special Forces Unit to deal with insurgency and terrorism. “…in my address to this hallowed chambers on June 25 this year to mark the commencement of the 4th session, I had specifically advocated the establishment of a Counter Terrorism Special Forces Unit as well as a National Counter terrorism Centre for our Armed Forces,” he said. I am confident that the resolve of Government in this regard will deliver the desired dividends in terms of acquisition of operational expertise. Leadership.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 10:46:05 +0000
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