President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has described the passage of both the Administrative and Fiscal Policy Bills for the Petroleum Industry as key parts of the priorities for the 8th Senate when it resumes after its annual recess.
In a statement issued yesterday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu , on issues that will take up the Senate’s time over the next 22-month, Saraki said attention would be focused on developing Nigeria’s infrastructure defi cit through appropriate legislation, looking at more Bills aimed at repositioning the national economy so as to enable it address the rising unemployment and strengthening Nigeria’s democracy through legislative oversight on government establishments.
“From day one, this Senate had its own legislative agenda. You will see that some of the things we have been doing are working our way through this agenda, in order to cross items off our list and deliver on our promises. “Th is has allowed us to treat more petitions than any other parliament in our nation’s history, and pass more Bills at the mid-term mark. “Th is is why, as we return in September, we will be fi nalising on our infrastructure and social intervention pieces of legislation.
Th ese are laws that will not only make it easier for small and medium enterprises across the nation to do business. We will make laws that would create ample opportunities for all Nigerians to realise their potentials. “Additionally, the Host Community component of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which looks at the ecological debt incurred against communities where petroleum exploration happens, and the community participation and security of these communities, will also be on the front-burner of our aff airs. Th is is something Nigerians can watch out for”, Saraki added.
