BREAKING: Senate sets up committee to harmonise PIB with Reps

Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Tuesday, named a seven-member committee to harmonise the different versions of the Petroleum Industry Bill, passed by both chambers of the National Assembly last week.

Lawan, who announced this at plenary, said the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi North), would lead the conference committee.

He listed other members of the panel to include, Senators Sabo Nakudu (Jigawa North East), Albert Bassey (Akwa Ibom), Danjuma Goje (Gombe), Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), Stella Oduah ( Anambra), and Gabriel Suswan (Benue).

Lawan said the panel would meet with their counterparts in the House of Representatives as early as possible to reconcile the differences in the two versions passed.

The Senate President said the conference committee would start sitting immediately so that the National Assembly could transmit the harmonised the bill to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for assent

It had earlier reported that the National Assembly might transmit the PIB passed by both chambers of the federal parliament to the President for assent next week.

A principal officer of the Senate, who spoke with The PUNCH on conditions of anonymity, on Monday, had confirmed that the Senate and the House of Representatives would harmonise their different positions on the Bill latest by Tuesday next week.

The Senator had said the conference committee of the two chambers which would harmonise the two versions of the bill would start sitting before the end of the week.

Details later…