President Muhammadu Buhari signing Petroleum Industry Bill 2021 into law on Monday: PDP wants immediate amendment to the law

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately forward to the National Assembly an amendment bill to the new Petroleum Industry Act.

The party gave the advice in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, on Monday in Abuja in reaction to the signing of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into law by Buhari.

Ologbondiyan advised the president to send amendment bill to the national assembly to reflect the true wishes and aspirations of every segment of the Nigerian society.

He expressed surprise that Buhari ignored the huge outcry by majority of disenchanted Nigerians and signed the bill as passed by the National Assembly into law.

He noted that that the signing of the law in spite widespread public rejection amounted to “endorsement of imposition, lack of respect for the people and the tenets of democracy as a system of government’’.

Ologbondiyan added that signing the bill into law was not in the interest of oil producing communities, particularly in the face of the challenges they faced as a result of oil exploration.

“Mr President could have returned the bill to the National Assembly with a request that it is made to address the demands of the oil producing communities.

“Our party fears that the new law cannot guarantee the desired stability and development in the oil and gas sector as well as respite in the Niger Delta region.

“The PDP calls on President Buhari to salvage the situation by immediately forwarding an amendment bill to the National Assembly to reflect the true wishes and aspirations of every segment of our nation,” he said.

Ologbondiyan, however, called for calm across the country, particularly the South-South geo-political zone.

He also urged lawmakers elected on PDP platform to be at alert even as preparation must be in full swing for an urgent amendment to the law.