Senate Panel Denies Bribery Allegation To Kill Petroleum Industry Bill

PHOTO: L-R: CHAIRMAN, SENATE COMMITTEE ON GAS, SNATOR OSITA IZUNASO; CHAIRMAN SENATE COMMITTEE ON UPSTREAM PETROLEUM, SENATOR LEE MAEBA; AND CHAIRMAN, SENATE COMMITTEE, DOWNSTREAM PETROLEUM, SENATOR EMMANUEL PAULKER AT THE PRESS BRIEFING TODAY, JULY 27, 2010.

ABUJA, July 27, (THEWILL) - The Senate Joint Committee working on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) today denied that it received bribe from some unnamed foreign agencies to kill the bill.

It nonetheless, announced that the bill is now ready for plenary debate and passage in the next few days.

Senate Committee Chairman on Upstream Petroleum, Senator Lee Meaba (PDP, Rivers) addressing journalists in Abuja, against the backdrop of allegations by civil society groups, that the delay in passing the bill was because the committee may have compromised their position and that some foreign interests have greased their palms, dismissed the reports of bribery allegations against the committee as mere rumours, which must not be taking serious, saying "I dismiss all rumours linking our committee with collection of bribes from oil companies."

He however said the bill is at the last stage of committee consideration and will soon be presented to the Senate plenary for consideration.

"We have received the recommendations from our consultants and we are fine tuning clauses of the bill. We like to assure the public and all stakeholders that within the next few days the PIB will be ready. It will soon be ready for presentation to the plenary."

He said the bill faced delay as a result of several other critical issues that engaged members of the joint committee during the period of consideration. Issues like the ill-health of the late President, doctrine of necessity among so many other issues he said militated against work on the all important bill.