Pat Stevens/
Both chambers of the National Assembly today finally passed the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into law.
The House of Representatives was first to pass the bill after consideration and adoption of the report by the relevant committee.
The Committee of the Whole had considered the clauses of the bill as recommended by the Committee on PIB.
The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, hailed the lawmakers for the record passage of the controversial bill, describing it as significant in the history of the parliament.
Shortly afterwards, the Senate followed suit by passing the PIB.
The upper chamber also approved three percent for the host communities instead of the five percent advocated by South-South lawmakers.
The bill was passed after the clause by clause consideration of the report of its joint committee on Petroleum (Upstream, Downstream and Gas) on PIB.
The Senate had before then, held a closed session with the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan congratulated the lawmakers and said the 9th National Assembly has achieved one of its fundamental legislative agenda.
“The demons (of PIB) have been defeated in this Chamber. We have passed the bill,” he said.
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