PIB: Governors snub international oil companies

State governors have turned down moves by the International Oil Companies to prevail on them to influence the National Assembly not to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill.

E-BIZ24/7 gathered that the IOCs had stepped up pressure on the governors to reach out to the National Assembly on the need not to pass the draft PIB. A governor, who spoke in confidence with E-BIZ24/7 said, “In the past few months, the IOCs have reached out to us (governors).

They want us to assist in killing the PIB by getting across to the National Assembly.

E-BIZ24/7 also gathered that the IOCs had made moves to ensure that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was removed by President Goodluck Jonathan in his anticipated cabinet reshuffle.

It was gathered that the companies hinged their positions on the raging issue of oil theft, which the Federal Government said it was concerned about.

It was, however, learnt that the President had ignored the call by the oil majors for Alison-Madueke’s removal on the grounds that oil theft was a security issue.