Controversy trails submission of amended NLNG Act to Senate ON JUNE 13, 20177:30
AMIN NEWSCOMMENTS Act was submitted two weeks ago — Reps We’ve not seen it — Senate By Udeme Akpan & Emman Ovuakporie LAGOS— Barely two weeks after the amendment of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Act by the House of Representatives, not much has been done to complete work on the Act. Investigations showed that the House and the Senate have not started to work together on the amended Act, targeted at compelling the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to contribute three percent of its budget for the development of the Niger Delta. Mr. Leo Ogor, House of Representatives Minority Leader, disclosed in a telephone interview that the Act was submitted to the Senate two weeks ago for concurrence or support. But the Senate, which constitutes the upper chamber of the National Assembly, indicated that it had not yet seen the amended Act. Chairman of Gas Committee, Mr. Albert Akpan, disclosed in a text message to Vanguard that his committee had not yet taken a position on the amendment because it had not yet received it. SENATE CHAMBER He said: “The Senate has not yet got the Act from the House of Representatives. We can’t react until we see the content.” However, Ogor (PDP, Delta), who sponsored the amendment of the NLNG Act, told Vanguard: “I think this thing is a very straight forward issue, and like I said from the beginning, what we are asking the NLNG to do as a gas processing company in line with Section 14 (1)(b) of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Act, which stipulates that three per cent of the total annual budget of any oil producing company operating on-shore and off-shore in the Niger Delta including gas processing under which NLNG is supposed to be, goes to the NDDC.” But the management of NLNG Limited said the amendment of the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) Act (Fiscal, Guarantees, Assurances, and Incentives) by the House of Representatives on May 9, 2017 will subject the company to more than just the three per cent Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, levy due to the removal of the Guarantees and Assurances in the Act. Dr Kudo Eresia-Eke, General Manager, External Relations, Nigeria LNG Limited, stated in a statement: “The complete removal is a huge error and it is inimical to the growth of Nigeria and a direct collision with the Federal Government’s drive to attract Foreign Direct Investment, FDI. The main thrust of the Guarantees and Assurances were to assure the foreign investors that their investments would be protected by the non-amendment of the NLNG Act.” PENGASSAN opposes amendment Meanwhile, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has reiterated its opposition to the amendment of the Nigeria LNG Limited, NLNG (Fiscal Incentives, Guarantees and Assurances) Act, calling on the National Assembly to halt the process in the interest of Nigeria. The union made their position known when the leadership of the Association visited the head office of NLNG a few days ago. Mr. Francis Johnson, President of PENGASSAN, said any amendment to the NLNG Act, which is an agreement crystallised into law, should be driven by the executive arm of government who entered into the deal with the foreign investors. Involvement of Ogor threatens Reps’ credibility However, investigations showed that the involvement of Ogor as contractor to the NDDC has threatened the credibility of the House of Representatives to amend the NLNG Act. Already, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, stated that it has blocked over N116 million belonging to Ogor. According to EFCC, it was examining the payment of over N318 million to two of the companies by the NDDC. When contacted, Ogor declined to comment on the issue, adding that he had already made himself clear to the media.
AMIN NEWSCOMMENTS Act was submitted two weeks ago — Reps We’ve not seen it — Senate By Udeme Akpan & Emman Ovuakporie LAGOS— Barely two weeks after the amendment of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Act by the House of Representatives, not much has been done to complete work on the Act. Investigations showed that the House and the Senate have not started to work together on the amended Act, targeted at compelling the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to contribute three percent of its budget for the development of the Niger Delta. Mr. Leo Ogor, House of Representatives Minority Leader, disclosed in a telephone interview that the Act was submitted to the Senate two weeks ago for concurrence or support. But the Senate, which constitutes the upper chamber of the National Assembly, indicated that it had not yet seen the amended Act. Chairman of Gas Committee, Mr. Albert Akpan, disclosed in a text message to Vanguard that his committee had not yet taken a position on the amendment because it had not yet received it. SENATE CHAMBER He said: “The Senate has not yet got the Act from the House of Representatives. We can’t react until we see the content.” However, Ogor (PDP, Delta), who sponsored the amendment of the NLNG Act, told Vanguard: “I think this thing is a very straight forward issue, and like I said from the beginning, what we are asking the NLNG to do as a gas processing company in line with Section 14 (1)(b) of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Act, which stipulates that three per cent of the total annual budget of any oil producing company operating on-shore and off-shore in the Niger Delta including gas processing under which NLNG is supposed to be, goes to the NDDC.” But the management of NLNG Limited said the amendment of the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) Act (Fiscal, Guarantees, Assurances, and Incentives) by the House of Representatives on May 9, 2017 will subject the company to more than just the three per cent Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, levy due to the removal of the Guarantees and Assurances in the Act. Dr Kudo Eresia-Eke, General Manager, External Relations, Nigeria LNG Limited, stated in a statement: “The complete removal is a huge error and it is inimical to the growth of Nigeria and a direct collision with the Federal Government’s drive to attract Foreign Direct Investment, FDI. The main thrust of the Guarantees and Assurances were to assure the foreign investors that their investments would be protected by the non-amendment of the NLNG Act.” PENGASSAN opposes amendment Meanwhile, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has reiterated its opposition to the amendment of the Nigeria LNG Limited, NLNG (Fiscal Incentives, Guarantees and Assurances) Act, calling on the National Assembly to halt the process in the interest of Nigeria. The union made their position known when the leadership of the Association visited the head office of NLNG a few days ago. Mr. Francis Johnson, President of PENGASSAN, said any amendment to the NLNG Act, which is an agreement crystallised into law, should be driven by the executive arm of government who entered into the deal with the foreign investors. Involvement of Ogor threatens Reps’ credibility However, investigations showed that the involvement of Ogor as contractor to the NDDC has threatened the credibility of the House of Representatives to amend the NLNG Act. Already, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, stated that it has blocked over N116 million belonging to Ogor. According to EFCC, it was examining the payment of over N318 million to two of the companies by the NDDC. When contacted, Ogor declined to comment on the issue, adding that he had already made himself clear to the media.
Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/06/controversy-trails-submission-amended-nlng-act-senate/
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