Contrary to claim by the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki that the recently-passed Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) has been transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang has stated that the National Assembly was yet to do so.
Ita Enang in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja said the "bill is still undergoing standard operating legislative processes of the national assembly preparatory to transmission.”
The statement read in part;
"Further to several enquiries by the media, interest groups and the public in respect of the within named bill (PIGB), may I please state that the said bill has not yet been transmitted by the national assembly to the president. From my enquiries, the bill is still undergoing standard operating legislative processes of the national assembly preparatory to transmission.”
Recall that Saraki had in April tweeted that the PIGB had been transmitted to the President. His post came one month after the chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (upstream), Tayo Alasoadura, said the PIGB would presented for presidential assent on March 30.
The tweet had read;
“After 18 years, President Muhammadu Buhari, has finally received the harmonised copy of the #PIGB from the 8th national assembly.”
Efforts to reach the Clerk of the National Assembly on the matter failed as he neither answered his phone nor replied text messages sent to him.
