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Waziri Adio, executive secretary, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), has urged the national assembly to pass all four subsets of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) before 2019 elections.

Adio in a series of tweets said the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), a part of the PIB which passed third reading in the house of representatives on Wednesday, was the easiest nut to crack.

He said the Petroleum Host Community Bill, Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill and the Petroleum Industry Administration Bill would present challenges before final passage.

But he noted that it is “possible” and encouraged the national assembly to make it happen so the executive can sign them into law before politicking begins.

“Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB). The Nigerian Senate had passed the same bill on May 25, 2017. This is a major and commendable development,” he tweeted.

“Since the journey for an omnibus law for the petroleum sector started in 2000, with the introduction of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) in the parliament in 2008 as a key milestone, this is the farthest we have come on this issue.

“These other bills, especially the first two, are supposed to be more contentious than the PIGB. In a sense, what has been passed may be the easiest of the lot.

“If the National Assembly succeeds in passing all the four bills and the executive signs them all before politicking for 2019 starts, that will be a solid achievement indeed. It is possible. Please do this for Nigeria.”

Adio also used the opportunity to commend Bukola Saraki, senate president, Yakubu Dogara, house speaker, other members of the legislature and members of the executive arm of government.

“Special commendation should go to Bukola Saraki, senate president, for taking the lead on this, and Yakubu Dogara, speaker, chairs and members of the relevant committees and their other colleagues in Nigerian senate and Nigerian house of representatives for bringing this to historic point,” he tweeted.

“Commendation should also go the executive arm for tactically yielding the ground to the legislature and providing quiet support to allow national assembly sort an issue that it has been blamed for over three assemblies.”

Yesterday, the @NGRHouseofReps passed the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB). The @NGRSenate had passed the same bill on 25 May 2017. This is a major and commendable development.

— Waziri Adio (@Waziriadio) January 18, 2018

Since the journey for an omnibus law for the petroleum sector started in 2000, with the introduction of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) in the parliament in 2008 as a key milestone, this is this is the farthest we have come on this issue.

— Waziri Adio (@Waziriadio) January 18, 2018

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The PIGB is still not law yet, but this is worth celebrating as we have gone on a merry-go-round for almost 18 years, and at enormous costs to the country, estimated by @nigeriaeiti to be beyond $200b.

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— Waziri Adio (@Waziriadio) January 18, 2018

The PIGB is still not law yet, but this is worth celebrating as we have gone on a merry-go-round for almost 18 years, and at enormous costs to the country, estimated by @nigeriaeiti to be beyond $200b.

— Waziri Adio (@Waziriadio) January 18, 2018

There might be need for a conference committee to harmonise, if the versions passed by the two chambers of the @nassnigeria are not exactly the same. Then, the harmonised version will be represented to the two houses, then a clean copy will be produced and sent to the executive

— Waziri Adio (@Waziriadio) January 18, 2018

For the PIGB to become law, there is the not-so-small matter of assent by the President or over-ruling of his veto or his refusal to assent after a prescribed period.

— Waziri Adio (@Waziriadio) January 18, 2018

All these are matters of processes. It is safe to say we are now within a touching or, if you will, an-agbalumo-seed-spit distance of a new governance law for the petroleum sector.

— Waziri Adio (@Waziriadio) January 18, 2018

Special commendation should go to SP @bukolasaraki for taking the lead on this, and Speaker @YakubDogara, chairs and members of the relevant committees of and their other colleagues in @NGRSenate and @NGRHouseofReps for bringing this to historic point.

— Waziri Adio (@Waziriadio) January 18, 2018

Commendation should also go the executive arm for tactically yielding the ground to the legislature and providing quiet support to allow @nassnigeria sort an issue that it has been blamed for over three assemblies.

— Waziri Adio (@Waziriadio) January 18, 2018

Given this quiet and right-headed collaboration, it is hoped that now that the ball is about leaving the court of the legislature, it will be despatched into the net, not as an own goal, by the executive.

— Waziri Adio (@Waziriadio) January 18, 2018

The PIGB is not all there was to the PIB. Three other bills are supposed to follow it: the Petroleum Host Community Bill; the Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill; and the Petroleum Industry Administration Bill.

— Waziri Adio (@Waziriadio) January 18, 2018

These other bills, especially the first two, are supposed to be more contentious than the PIGB. In a sense, what has been passed may be the easiest of the lot.

— Waziri Adio (@Waziriadio) January 18, 2018

But then politics is said to be the art of the possible. And law-making is the very definition of politics.

— Waziri Adio (@Waziriadio) January 18, 2018

If the @nassnigeria succeed in passing all the four bills and the executive sign them all before politicking for 2019 starts, that will be a solid achievement indeed. It is possible. Please do this for Nigeria. ???

— Waziri Adio (@Waziriadio) January 18, 2018