The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NETI) has called for the reduction of the powers of the Minister of Petroleum in the proposed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
Hajia Sadiya Gashinbaki, a Legal Officer with NEITI, made the call when he presented the position of the organisation at the North-West Zone of the public hearing on the PIB last week in Kaduna.
According to her, transparency and accountability will be further enhanced in the administration and regulation of the oil and gas sector, if the powers of the minister are reduced.
The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NETI) has called for the reduction of the powers of the Minister of Petroleum in the proposed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
Hajia Sadiya Gashinbaki, a Legal Officer with NEITI, made the call when he presented the position of the organisation at the North-West Zone of the public hearing on the PIB last week in Kaduna.
According to her, transparency and accountability will be further enhanced in the administration and regulation of the oil and gas sector, if the powers of the minister are reduced.
"In order to ensure transparency in the administration and regulation of the petroleum industry, it is necessary to reduce the powers of the Minister of Petroleum,” she said.
Gashinbaki said instead of the enormous powers proposed for the minister in the bill, strong autonomous institutions should be created to promote effective governance of the petroleum resources.
She said the movement of the technical bureau to the minister's office as a special unit would undermine transparency and professionalism.
"NEITI is of strong opinion that it should be crafted as a fully professionalised public sector agency of the oil industry."
On host communities’ fund, she said there should be complete conformity in the treatment of all communities located in mineral producing areas.
She stressed that government revenues must be expended in accordance with the existing Fiscal Responsibility and Public Procurement Acts.
Similarly, the Centre for Development and Democracy, an NGO, has called for the reduction of powers of the ministry in the PIB.
Mr Adejor Abel, who represented the organisation, said that if the powers of the minister were left as proposed in the bill, it would amount to abuse.
Abel urged members of the National Assembly to ensure that international oil companies did not thwart the will of the people through corruption.
He called on the members to also reflect on the will of the Nigerian people into the final draft of the legislation.
The hearing held simultaneously from April 22 and 23 at the six-geopolitical zones.
The committee was constituted in November 2012 and inaugurated by the Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, on March 13.
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