The public hearing on the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill by the House of Representatives can no longer hold this year, The PUNCH has learnt.
Findings indicate that the earliest possible time the hearing may hold will be between "the third and the fourth week of January, 2013."
Investigations on Tuesday showed that the 23-member ad-hoc committee, appointed to conduct the hearing met only once since November 15 when the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, named the committee members.
A source close to the committee, which is headed by the Chief Whip of the House, Mr. Ishaka Bawa, told our correspondent that the initial intention was for the hearing to start before members proceeded on the Christmas and New Year vacation on December 20.
However, this was reportedly altered after the committee's inaugural meeting, where some members cautioned against "rushing the PIB because of its sensitive nature."
A source, who was privy to the deliberations at the committee, told our correspondent on Tuesday, "At the meeting, members harped on the need to plan properly for the hearing by studying the bill in and out.
"This is a sensitive bill that has generated interest among industry operators, government and Nigerians.
"Before you go out there to confront other stakeholders, the committee members must consult widely; they have to engage experienced consultants in the oil industry to analyse the bill.
"For this reason, a hasty public hearing was not the right option".
It was also learnt that because some key members of the committee were chairmen of key committees working on the 2013 budget, there was the challenge of time-sharing for the lawmakers.
The chairmen are Mr. Ajibola Muraina (Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream); Mr. Dakuku Peterside (Petroleum Resources (Downstream), and Mr. Bassey Ewa (Committee on Gas Resources).
These committees oversee the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and all oil industry agencies like the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, whose operations have a bearing on the budget.
Ewa told our correspondent that the budget was a major reason that affected the take-off of the public hearing.
In a bid to fulfil the promise of the House to pass the 2013 budget in December, he said, other assignments were delayed, including the PIB hearing.
Ewa added, "The composition of the ad-hoc committee is such that the Chairman (Bawa) and Deputy Chairman (Samson Osagie) are principal officers.
"You know also that the House was busy with considering and passing the budget.
"The chairmen of all committees that have oversight duties on the oil industry, ministries and NNPC are also members of the ad-hoc committee.
"The same people were involved with the budget. So, it was a crowded schedule for the House.
"Now that we have passed the budget, the committee met and resolved that by second week of January, the hearing will start and we shall begin to invite stakeholders."
