The Petroleum Industry Bill when signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, will knock out Nigeria from the International Organisation of Legal Metrology, an international forum of regulating, weighing and measuring in every sector of the national economy.
An expert in the industry, Mr. Yabagi Sani who disclosed this at a forum of Legal Metrology Experts in Abuja said the PIB eroded the weights and measures functions of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and conferred the same on the proposed Nigeria Petroleum Commission in the same bill in contravention of the constitution, other laws and international best practices.
He noted that the Bill intends to take over the following functions of its Weights and Measures department which include, verification, fiscalisation, calibration and certification of all measuring instruments used in the petroleum industry.
Mr. Sani said the Bill also seek to take over the function of quantity determination of petroleum and gas products for trade purposes and issuance of pattern of approval certification for measuring instruments used in the petroleum industry.
Adding that the creation of the NPRC in part two paragraph four gives the commission excessive, exclusive power that is contrary to global best practices and the spirit of fairness, transparency and accountability that the PIB is expected to enthrone.
The expert further said most provisions of the PIB contravened item 65 Exclusive List, Second Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; the Weights and Measures Act 2004 and the Pre-shipment Inspection for Export Act CAP page 25 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
