OF SENATOR DOMINGO OBENDE, ANTI-GAY LEGISLATION, AND PETROLEUM INDUSTRY BILL (PIB)

Culled from my Facebook Timeline - written January 22, 2014.
Senator Domingo Obende is the sponsor of the recently passed Anti-Gay Legislation. And he is from Edo State - one of the oil-producing states in Nigeria. At the moment, he is basking in ecstasy following the successful passage of that law. He has every cause to be in that mood - the Bill has the overwhelming support of Nigerians at home and abroad. Unfortunately, I did not celebrate the new legislation with the numerous supporters of the Bill. A few days ago, I made a not so complimentary remark about the Bill, and I was ferociously lambasted by friends and family members - including my nieces and nephews. I had to delete the comment and the entire thread because the language was becoming too incendiary. Bringing my son into the discussion, was, to say the least, disappointing. Nevertheless, I bear full responsibility for the outrage. 
A few weeks ago, I posted a comment here on my Timeline about the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) - a Bill that is presently languishing in obscurity in our National Assembly, because some Senators and Governors are not favorably disposed to a provision in the Bill that provides for oil-producing communities. As expected, there was no outrage from my friends and family members, except, of course, Owanlen Victor Amuakhagbon and my good friend, Godfrey Obetoh Ph.D. 

Petroleum is the mainstay of the Nigerian economy, and one would have thought that an Energy Bill designed to regulate the industry and makes life better for the communities that suffer the economic hardship and ecological hardship following spillage and pollution would receive an expedited hearing from our lawmakers. It did not. 

At this juncture, I would like to call on Senator Domingo Obende to show the same grace under fire that he enthusiastically displayed during the debate that culminates in the passage of the Anti-Gay Legislation. Nothing less is expected of the Honorable Law Maker. He is from Edo State, and Edo State is an Oil Producing State. 

If he is not aware of the PIB or its fundamentals, he should consult with lawyers in his Senatorial District - I can recommend some smart ones for him if he doesn't know any. 

Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, a major adversary of the Bill, told us last year that they (Northern Governors) will first seek the counsel of professional lawyers before instructing their Senators on what line of action to take about the Bill. Given the lackadaisical approach displaced so far toward the Bill by legislators from the northern region, it is very easy to fathom the nature of the counsel they received or are receiving from the professional advisers hired by the Governors. 

Unfortunately, Southern Governors, as is always the case on important national issues, are in the wood - not knowing what to do next. And the PIB is dying slowly. As a reminder, I do not have a problem mentioning northern Nigeria or southern Nigeria in any of my essays. I am not calling for the dismantling of Nigeria. I am not labeling one region a parasite or blaming all our woes on northern Nigeria. And I am not one who, in an attempt to cast the image of a nationalist would pretend that all is well with our federalism or federal structure. All is not well. The earlier opinion leaders come forward with how they feel about the true stay of our federal structure the better. 

Truth is that most northern political leaders still relate to the southern region as if it is a conquered territory. And these are individuals holding national positions. Why can't we talk about them as well as the views they hold? Yes, we must talk about them, if this country must remain stronger as one. Let's dwell on what holds us together - those things that strengthen our resolve for one indivisible entity, our national image, and reputation - without blindly or timidly unmindful of their antics.
These are the drags. They are the problems and not the solutions. Above all, they are not for the talakawa, the almajiri and the poor fellows, but their interests and the interests of their immediate family. 

A few days ago, the loquacious Junaid Muhammad made pejorative statements about the Minister of Petroleum - mocking her for not being able to maneuver the PIB through the National Assembly for a successful passage. That is an outrage, to put it mildly. It isn't her Bill. It is our Bill - the people.

The Petroleum Industry Bill deserves a hearing - a positive hearing and swift passage. Because the Industry (oil and gas) is what is holding Nigeria together. Senator Obende and his colleagues should step forward and do the right thing. Bamboozling gullible Nigerians, as our lawmakers and political leaders always do, with issues that bear the least relevance to their social and economic emancipation is as nauseating as the image they made of gays and lesbians. 

I wrote about six thousand words essay on the PIB a few weeks ago. That essay is available here on my  Facebook Timeline and at my Blog. That's all I can do for now. Thank you.