PIB will be passed by NASS – Jonathan Abuja - President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday assured Nigerians in The Netherlands that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) would soon be passed by the National Assembly. This is contained in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, in Abuja. It stated that Jonathan gave the assurance at an interactive session with Nigerians residing in The Netherlands. According to him, he has been assured by the National Assembly that the seventh National Assembly will be able to complete the process of passing the bill. “The NASS will as soon as they complete work on the 2014 budget, continue with the PIB as their inability to ensure its passage into law at this time will amount to its transfer to the eight assembly. “A situation that will not be seen as popular since the bill was brought forward from the sixth assembly.’’ On the ongoing National Conference, Jonathan said that various issues had led to the establishment of the conference, which had for the first time, a large representative of youths, numbering up to 18 According to him, his hope for the conference is for a better Nigeria, a bright future that keeps the nation going despite the challenges. On the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, “the president asked what they would have done if they held the mantle of leadership and their subordinate who holds a highly exalted office of the governor of the Central Bank is flippant and highly inconsistent, they chorused ‘sack him’ “He explained that, that has been the case of the suspended CBN chief who woke up on a particular day and alleged that 49.8 billion dollar was missing from the federation account which is equivalent or over the national budgets for 2011 and 2012,’’ it stated. He said that the same man had later come out to announce that the amount was no longer 49.8 billion dollars but 12 billion dollars until the latest figure of 20 billion dollars that went viral in the Internet. The president noted that “if all the people in government were corrupt and thieves there was no way they could have siphoned 49.8 billion dollars alleged to have been stolen or gone missing at the period Sanusi mentioned’’. It quoted the president as acknowledging that there were irregularities in the accounting system of the Nigerian National Petroleum Authority and he had since ordered the forensic investigation of the corporation. The statement said that Jonathan, who was barraged by other questions on various domestic problems affecting the country, including Boko Haram insurgents, pirates and kidnapping, assured that the country would soon overcome the problems. (NAN)
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 20:00:11 +0000
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