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16 March 2011
The Senate on Tuesday called off passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill for the second time in one week, but this time in counter protest to series of protests calling on the lawmakers to pass the Bill.
It said it will not be blackmailed into the passage of the Bill by protesters who claim they are more patriotic than the senators.
A group of students from three universities in the Niger Delta region had on Tuesday morning barricaded the entrance to the National Assembly demanding the passage of the Bill and subsequently, an apology from the deputy Senate president who had last week dismissed them as “charlatans.”
The Senate president, David Mark, said his colleagues had also received a minimum of 20 disparaging text messages intended to stampede them into hastily passing the bill.
“We are as patriotic as those sending text messages. I do not think any Nigerian can be more patriotic than the senators,” Teslim Folarin, the Senate leader, said while requesting its withdrawal.
The Bill was subsequently withdrawn, to be heard on “another legislative day” and not even the next legislative day, indicating a major setback.
The Senate is expected to proceed on a recess after today’s plenary to enable members who are running for a rerun in the April 2 senatorial elections to prepare for their elections.
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