PIB: Southern senators search for northern support

Senators from southern Nigeria have begun a series of meetings to enable them to persuade their northern counterparts, to support the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill. Our correspondent gathered in Abuja, on Sunday that each of the groups had been meeting to articulate a position, which it hoped would sway the opposing side.
The Southern Senators’ Forum, which met on Friday it was however learnt could not find a common ground on how best to approach the issue, even as they refused to speak to the media after a closed-door meeting, at the Senate Hearing Room 1.
The PIB, which supporters argue would transform the oil business was forwarded to the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan last year.
However, attempts to get senators to begin work on the bill before going on the last Christmas recess were unsuccessful.
Some senators condemned the move as an attempt to ambush them considering the timing of the presentation.
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the Senate’s last session before the recess, could not convince his colleagues to allow the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma Egba to present his lead debate.
None of the parties was willing to speak on its game plan, insisting that it would play out on the floor of the Senate.
Ndoma-Egba had  cautioned his colleagues during plenary last December, 18, that their refusal to take the bill at the time would be misconstrued by Nigerians as a negative disposition towards its passage by the Senate.
He said, “I am minded to be guided by the mood of the Senate. The bill has been in the Senate for a long time. There are a number of days allotted to discuss it.
“Again, I was in Washington when I watched our Chairman of Rules and Business said that the bill would be discussed today. The circumstances under which the bill was introduced should not be lost on us.”
Senator Ahmed Lawan, had urged his colleagues to  give more time to digest the contents of the bill to enable them to prepare adequately towards making meaningful contributions.