Reps move to transfer oil, gas control to states

If a bill being considered by the House of Representatives scales legislative hurdles, the federal government would be stripped of exclusive powers over the control of oil and gas resources in the country.

On Wednesday, a bill aimed at achieving this goal scaled the second reading stage on the floor of the House, presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Benjamin Kalu.

The proposed legislation is titled: “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Decentralize the Governance of Natural Resources in the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Transfer Mines and Minerals, Including Oil Fields, Oil Mining, Geological Surveys and Natural Gas from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List and for Related Matters.”

The bill, which was referred to the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), is sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen; the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda; Gaza Jonathan Gbefwi; and Ikeagwuonu Onyinye Ugochinyere.

Also being considered are seven other devolution of powers-related bills that seek to alter the Second Schedule of the Constitution to rename and transfer fingerprints, identification and criminal records, road tolls, and the construction of roads other than “Trunk A” from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List.

The bills include the quest to provide for the inclusion of tourism, the transfer of quarantine from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent Legislative List, and other related matters.

READ ALSO:House of Reps approve bill to increase Lagos LGAs to 57

One of the bills seeks to alter the provisions of the Constitution to move water for domestic, commercial, industrial, irrigation, power, and other uses to the Concurrent Legislative List, allowing state governments to put water within their states to sustainable use. It also provides for the financial autonomy of local government councils by prescribing an independent consolidated local government council account and for related matters.