Nigerian Senate Passes Bill On Petroleum University
According to Vanguard report, the bill also mandated the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, to contribute at least two percent of its gross receipts for the university.
The lawmakers also recommended that the university shall offer courses in Petroleum technology, provided overseas courses would be sponsored by the PTDF and other govern-ment agencies only in respect of the courses not available at the university upon certification.
Prior to this development, Nigeria could only boast of a Petroleum Training Institute, PTI, also situated in Effurun.
The institute was established in 1973 by the federal government of Nigeria as a prerequisite for the membership in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC.
Among the objectives of the PTI was to train indigenous middle-level manpower to meet the labour force demands of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria and the West African sub-region. The PTI awards ND and HND certificates.
Meanwhile, the Senate has also assured that it would pass the 2015 Appropriation Bill into law before the end of 2014 even as it still awaits the bill from President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary while welcoming senators from the Sallah break, made the announcement, while adding that the Senate would receive the 2015 Appropriation Bill from the President in few weeks.
Senator Ekweremadu also assured that the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, and the Constitutional Review Amendment Bill would be given accelerated hearing for passage.
The Senate also adopted the Harmonized Conference Report on National Health Bill, 2014, which was recently passed into law by the National Assembly and urged President Jonathan to expedite action in appending his signature to the law.
