Nation
PIB: CSOs Set Agenda On Transparency, Global Standards
With the month of April insight based on the promise of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, on the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), into law in April 2021, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), have set agenda on transparency, accountability, and global standards in implementing provisions of the would-be law to the benefit of host communities, attract investors and expand the economy.
Speaking on the bill currently at advanced stage with the public hearings being conducted, the CSOs expressed concern in some grave areas that needs attention, including payment of rent directly to landowners, review rents, disbursements of revenues, and others.
The Country Director, Global Rights, Abiodun Baiyewu, said, “It is a welcome development given the intrigues and inordinate delays in its passage, but we all need to be vigilant to ensure that the final version passed protects the vulnerable and reflects the aspirations of the Nigerians and not the whims of selfish interests.
“In particular, we are concerned about provisions to ensure the transparent disbursements of revenues derived for the development host communities, and ensure that environmental degradation is adequately mitigated and penalised.
“In all sane societies, the free, prior, and informed consent of host communities alongside other rights is sacrosanct. We will be watching to ensure that they are affirmed and respected in the final version.
“The bill also needs to be forward-thinking in its provisions. We are near the end of the oil era – this final version must reflect this context”.
She also added that CSOs are to be involved in the aspect of ensuring transparency in the disbursement of revenue derived for the development of host communities and protection of the environment.
The Director, Health For Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Arc Nnimmo Bassey, said, “The PIB will still leave vital issues unaddressed if environment costs remain externalized and its spirit is not in line with the provisions of the Solid Minerals Act of 2007.
“A big deal is being made of a minuscule provision for communities that have borne the brunt of irresponsible exploitation and pollution (including gas flaring) for over six decades now”.
He queried, “Who determines who a host community is? Who says a community that constantly suffers pollution — but doesn’t have oil facilities — is not a host community? Oil companies who thrive on divide-and-rule and are always evading responsibility? A community like Goi in Ogoniland is one such prime example. These are some of the important issues that mustn’t be overlooked.
“PIB should have equivalent provisions for environment and communities as provided in the Solid Minerals Act 2007. Oil companies should make deposited for operations closure at the end of the lifespan of fields. Pay direct rent to landowners and review such rents as in the Solid Minerals Act”.
He further stated that “Moreover, communities should have a right to reject oil and gas exploration and exploitation in their territories.”
In another reaction, a social crusader and Founder, One Love Foundation (OLF), Chief Patrick Eholor, said, “Kudos to the present National Assembly members for their dedication and patriotism in making sure that this Bill is passed and assented to.
“You and I know that non-passage of the PIB has been a major drag on the industry over the years, significantly limiting its ability to attract both local and foreign capital at a time when many other countries are scrambling to exploit their oil and gas resources.
“The mere knowledge that the nation’s oil industry is still being governed by laws enacted more than 50 years ago is ludicrous and extremely disappointing.
“We must have an oil and gas industry that’ll benefit the people with a global standard practices that’ll promote transparency and accountability.”
However, according to Eholor, years of not passing the PIB into law has cost Nigeria and the oil-bearing communities colossal loss and backwardness, rather made them aggressive and frustrated that has led to agitations and attacks on oil companies and facilities in the Niger Delta region.
“It is unfortunate that the oil and gas reforms began in April, 2000, when the then President Olusegun Obasanjo inaugurated the Oil and Gas Reform Implementation Committee.
“The work of the reform committee culminated into the Petroleum Industry Bill which was later transmitted to the 6th Senate in September, 2008, and since then, efforts by successive members of the National Assembly to get the Bill passed have not yielded the much-desired result”, he stated.
He also called on the government to consider deregulation of the downstream sector and unbundling of NNPC.
“They should equally look into the aspect of deregulation of the downstream sector, the agitation of the oil-producing communities and the unbundling of the NNPC which is a conduit pipe for the looting of our common patrimony.”
Meanwhile, the Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Rafsanjani, urged National Assembly not to disappoint Nigerians in passing the PIB into law as promised by the Speaker of House of Representatives as it would change the narrative in the oil and gas sector that has been long-awaited to happen.
Rafsanjani said, “We have heard from the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabimiala, that they will do everything possible to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), in April, this is a serious commitment by the National Assembly members working on the PIB to demonstrate and show their seriousness about this.
“It is important that the PIB this time around break the jinx. It is important that the National Assembly do everything possible to work with various recommendations and suggestions that would help to improve the sector and make it more productive, accountable, and responsive for the nation.
“Without PIB passage the nation’s economy will continue to be stagnated and suffer corruption, ineffectiveness, lack of efficiency, and all sorts of democratic bottlenecks.
“If the PIB is passed into law will make the nation’s oil and gas sector be more productive, efficient, transparent and accountable, and investors will surely come when they see that their investments are guaranteed, regulators are performing according to what the law says, there is enabling environment to ensure they have a healthy business we will have more investors will come to the sector.
“We will not want to have the current situation hereby Nigeria is importing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), even shamelessly from our neighbouring country. We pray that the PIB legislation scales through, although the President of the Senate made a scary statement that some powerful forces will not allow the PIB to be passed into law.
“My question is that the National Assembly members are the ones that have the constitutional and legislative powers to pass the PIB, is that within the legislature or members of the legislature or is he alleging that some of them would frustrate it?
“But I don’t think this will happen because they are elected to make good laws for the country and one of the good laws is of course to have this PIB passed so that the petroleum sector would be sanitized.
“CSOs and CISLAC have been at the forefront of advocating and agitating for this law to be passed and we hope that this time around the NASS will fulfill its promises as made by Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila that they would pass this law.”
The Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Dr Chioma Ejikeme, has reiterated the commitment to service delivery for pensioners.
Ejikeme said this during the Customer Service Week in Abuja, yesterday.
He said that commission had a mandate to deliver good service delivery to the pensioners.
Ejikeme, who was represented by the Director Civil Service Pension Department, Mr Kabir Yusuf, said that the customer service week was important to operations of PTAD.
“Customer service is the support that you give to a customer, whether it is an existing customer or potential customer in the process of delivering or making enquires about a service.
“To be a good customer service representative you need to be knowledgeable, have good attitude and attribute especially to the senior citizens and have empathy,” he said.
Ejikeme said that all PTAD staff had most of the attributes of a good customer representative.
“We provide excellent customer service by going to verify our aged pensioners who cannot do it by themselves anywhere across the country.
“There is a dedicated team that was mandated to go round to confirm the aliveness of those who can not confirm their aliveness either because the are too old or have health issues,” the executive secretary said.
The National Coordinator, SERVICOM, Mrs Nnenna Akajemeli, said that the official theme of the 2024 customer service week was “ We Go Above and Beyond For Our Customers.”
She commended PTAD and the SERVICOM team for organising the 2024 customer service week.
“This is in line with the best practice of celebrating frontline workers and service takers.
“Customer service week is celebrated annually during the first full week in October.
It calls attention to the importance of people to boost morale team work and departmental collaboration in supporting pensioners.
“ It is a platform to reward employees for the significant work they do,” Akajemeli said.
She said that the objective of the customer service week was to celebrate the hard work and dedication of employee who strived to create positive customer experiences.
She said that it was time to show customers that the organisation valued their experience and feedback, through comment cards, dedicated hotline, among others.
Akajemeli said that it raised awareness internally and externally about the importance of good customer service in building customer loyalty and satisfaction.
She said that the benefit was to increase motivation, show appreciation, encourage friendly competition, boost employee retention, create a positive workplace and increase productivity.
The Head, Surveillance Department at the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mr Abdulrahman Saleem, said that good service delivery was the key success of every establishment.
Salem said that PTAD operated with standard, considering the success it had achieved so far.
Saleem said that pensioners required the best service attitude and behavior.
“ I give kudos to PTAD for its efforts and encourage it to do more.
“Therefore I urge PTAD staff to keep up the standard and continue to give good service to the pensioners,” he said.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has honoured Flying Officer David Sangokoya for winning the 2023/2024 Royal Air Force College Cranwell International Cadet Sword of Honour.
Abubakar honoured the officer during the presentation of cheques to 13 beneficiaries of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Group Personal Accident Insurance Policy (GPAIP) in Abuja, yesterday.
He described the achievement as ground-breaking as it was the first time an African cadet had won the prestigious award since the Academy’s creation over 100 years ago.
According to him, the feat underscores the excellence that exists within NAF, and proof that NAF officers and cadets can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world.
“To our awardee, you have set a new standard, not just for your peers, but for every cadet and officer that will come after you.
“This accomplishment is a powerful reminder that no goal is out of reach when one is armed with dedication, discipline and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
“Your journey as an officer has begun with this prestigious accolade, but the true measure of your success will be seen in how you serve, lead and contribute to the mission of NAF and the defence of our great nation.
“As we celebrate this historic occasion, we extend our deepest gratitude to the United Kingdom Government for its unwavering support in providing world-class training opportunities to our personnel.
“This has enabled our officers and men to gain invaluable skills and knowledge, strengthening not only our bilateral ties but also our collective ability to address global security challenges,” he said.
The CAS said that the NAF looked forward to continuing the fruitful partnership for the mutual benefit of Nigeria and UK countries.
He expressed gratitude and unflinching loyalty to President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to the welfare and training of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, and NAF in particular.
“I must also take a moment to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the leadership of the Nigerian Defence Academy and the instructors who helped to mould and prepare this cadet for the global stage.
“Their dedication and commitment to developing top-notch officers is evident in this ground-breaking achievement.
“You have not only trained a leader but have given the Nigerian Air Force a legacy we will all cherish,” he said.
National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has advocated private sector involvement to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The Director-General of the authority, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, made the call at a high-level policy dialogue on sustainable health system reforms in Nigeria in Abuja, yesterday.
The Tide’s source reports that the dialogue was organised by the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN), a coalition of private sector stakeholders, to address the multifaceted challenges plaguing the country’s healthcare system.
The dialogue has “Private Sector Support for SWAP (Sector Wide Approach) in Healthcare” as its theme.
Represented by Dr Yakubu Agada-Amade, the NHIA Director of Standards and Quality Assurance, Ohiri explained the crucial role of private sector collaboration in strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system
He highlighted the “One Plan” under the SWAp framework, which seeks to unify health sector efforts, ensuring efficient resource use, effective governance and expanded healthcare access.
He also stressed the importance of overcoming barriers that historically hindered the implementation of healthcare interventions in Nigeria, such as inadequate financing, weak governance systems, and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
He added that “the dialogue explored innovative approaches, including digital health innovations and financing mechanisms to accelerate the implementation of the National Health Act and mandatory health insurance coverage.
“With enrollment in health insurance growing by 14 per cent over the past year, NHIA can push for greater inclusivity, particularly targeting the informal sector through flexible payment systems and partnerships with telecommunications companies.”
He called for stronger synergy between public and private health actors to ensure universal access to quality healthcare and sustainable reforms in line with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
Panelists from the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP), Healthcare Providers Association of Nigeria (HCPAN) and Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN) echoed the sentiments, underscoring the private sector’s role in expanding insurance coverage and improving healthcare delivery.
They commended NHIA’s efforts toward driving reforms to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp).