Headlines
Senate Passes Petroleum Bill, Six Others Rejected by Buhari
The Senate on Wednesday passed the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill and six other bills earlier rejected by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The passage of the bills followed the adoption of their clause-by-clause consideration that lasted some hours.
Other bills passed are the Stamp Duties (Amendment) Bill, National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (Est.) Bill, National Research and Innovation Council (Est.) Bill and National Agricultural Seeds Council Bill.
The rest are the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (Amendment) Bill and Independent National Electoral Commission Act 2010 (Amendment) Bill.
Buhari had refused to sign the bills for various reasons ranging from financial constraints, negative impact on Nigerians, duplication of responsibilities, violations of extant laws to a lack of consultation with relevant stakeholders.
The Senate recently adopted the report of its Technical Committee on Declined Assent to Bills, which reviewed the President’s observations and redrafted the affected clauses in the bills.
Withholding assent to the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill in August 2018, Buhari had kicked against the provision permitting the Petroleum Regulatory Commission to retain as much as 10 per cent of the revenue generated and expanding the functions of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund.
In the new bill, the Senate agreed with Buhari’s submission and reduced the revenue generated by the regulatory commission from 10 percent to five per cent.
It also expunged the Petroleum Equalisation Fund from Part IV of the new bill.
The new bills will be transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence before being sent to the President for his assent.
PIGB is a fraction of a more comprehensive Petroleum Industry Bill, one of the longest standing bills in the National Assembly.
It was first introduced to the National Assembly in 2008 as an executive bill by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua.
The Sixth National Assembly (2007 – 2011) refused to pass the bill.
It was brought back to the National Assembly in 2012 by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
In 2014, 47 out of the 360 members of the House of Representatives in the Seventh Assembly (2011-2015) were present when the bill was passed a few hours to the end of their tenure. But the bill failed to get concurrence from the Senate.
The current proposal is a private member bill sponsored by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Upstream, Tayo Alasoadura.
The Punch
Former US Vice President Kamala Harris said in a British television interview previewed Saturday that she may “possibly” run again to be president.
Harris, who replaced Joe Biden as the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate but lost to Donald Trump, told the BBC that she had not yet decided whether to make another White House bid.
But the 61-year-old insisted she was “not done” in American politics and that her young grandnieces would see a female president in the Oval Office “in their lifetime, for sure”.
“I have lived my entire career a life of service, and it’s in my bones, and there are many ways to serve,” Harris told the British broadcaster in an interview set to air in full on Sunday.
“I’ve not decided yet what I will do in the future, beyond what I am doing right now.”
The comments are the strongest hint yet that Harris could attempt to be the Democratic Party nominee for the 2028 election.
The interview follows the release of her memoir last month in which she argued it had been “recklessness” to let Biden run for a second term as president.
She also accused his White House team of failing to support her while she was his deputy, and at times of actively hindering her.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made changes in the hierarchy of the Service Chiefs in furtherance of the efforts of the federal government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture.
The President appointed General Olufemi Oluyede to replace General Christopher Musa as the new Chief of Defence Staff.
The new Chief of Army Staff is Major-General W. Shaibu. Air Vice Marshall S.K Aneke is Chief of Air Staff while Rear Admiral I. Abbas is the new Chief of Naval Staff. Chief of Defence Intelligence Major-General E.A.P Undiendeye retains his position.
The President expressed appreciation to the outgoing Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and the other Service Chiefs for their patriotic service, and dedicated leadership.
The President charges the newly appointed Service Chiefs to justify the confidence reposed in them to further enhance the professionalism, vigilance and comradeship that define the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
All appointments take immediate effect, Special Adviser to the President
Media and Public Communication, Mr Sunday Dare, said in a statement in Abuja.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the trial of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, till Monday, October 27, to enable him to open his defence in the terrorism charges filed against him.
Justice James Omotosho fixed the new date on Friday, after Kanu informed the court that his former legal team, led by former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), had yet to release his case file to him.
At the resumed hearing, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) appeared for the Federal Government and reminded the court that the matter was fixed for Kanu to begin his defence as earlier directed.
However, no counsel represented Kanu.
He pleaded for an adjournment to allow him to retrieve and study the file to prepare adequately for his defence.
He said, “My lord, my counsel left the case yesterday, and I have not received the file from them.”
He also informed the court of his intention to call 23 witnesses, both local and foreign, and requested an order directing the Department of State Services to allow his foreign witnesses access to him.
Additionally, he sought permission for his lawyers to visit him on non-working days — a request Omotosho granted.
Counsel to the Federal Government, Awomolo, however, described Kanu’s complaint as “strange”, noting that the defendant had spent hours in court with his former lawyers. He further urged the court to strictly enforce its earlier directive giving Kanu six days to open and close his defence.
The prosecution said, “I’m aware that there is a standing order for the defendant to defend himself within six days. The defendant wasted yesterday. This is the second day, my lord. I urge your lordship to keep to the standing order of the number of days given to the defendant,” Awomolo said.
In his ruling, Omotosho said while Kanu’s claim about the withheld case file was “strange and difficult to believe”, he would still grant a short adjournment in the interest of justice.
The judge cautioned against unnecessary delays, stressing that several other cases had been affected by the protracted proceedings.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to Monday, October 27, for Kanu to open his defence.
