The House of Representatives has stepped down the report of the conference committee on Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), following a shouting match by some lawmakers from the Niger Delta region.
The lawmakers insisted that the five per cent operating cost earmarked to host communities must be retained.
The lawmakers had engaged in a shouting match in the chamber as they repeatedly screamed “why won’t they give us five percent. Give us five per cent or nothing.”
Their outcry was sequel to the discovery that three per cent initially granted by the Senate was eventually approved by the harmonisation committee.
All effort by the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, to calm down down the lawmakers was futile. He, therefore, asked journalists to leave the chambers as they went into executive session.
Resuming about an hour later, Gbajabiamila called on the chairman of the Committee, Hon. Mohammed Tahir Monguno, to step down the report.
