Buhari’s Assent To PIB Lack Of Respect For Nigerians — PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the immediate amendment of the new Petroleum Industry Act Bill recently approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Recall that Buhari on Monday signed the Petroleum Industry Bill 2021 into law.

This was confirmed in a statement signed by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, and sent to the media.

According to the statement, the ceremonial part of the new legislation will be done on Wednesday after the days of mandatory isolation would have been fulfilled.

Reacting, the party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, in Abuja advised President Buhari to Immediately forward to the National Assembly an amendment bill to the new Petroleum Industry Act.

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

He noted that the signing of the law in spite of 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 be 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.