By Etuka Sunday
The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Counsels in the Ministry of Justice and other key stakeholders yesterday converge on Abuja to brainstorm on oil and gas litigations and other related matters.
The Two-Day workshop which was organised by the PTDF as part of its capacity building efforts in the oil and gas industry was intended to further develop capacities and competencies of state counsels and some stakeholders and raise their knowledge on oil and gas related litigations and related matters.
Declaring the workshop opened, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva said, the oil and gas industry was dynamic, therefore there was need to take a second look at the existing laws in the industry.
Sylva who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Moses Dayo Olamide said, the workshop would help participants to look at the bubble points in the existing laws for effective speedy administration of Justice.
Speaking in a Keynote address, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN commended the PTDF for the initiative and assured that the Fund the ministry was working to ensure access to Justice by all, especially Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government.
Represented by the Director, Legal Drafting, Mr Hamsa, the Minister said, everything possible would be done to ensure speedy dispensation of Justice.
Earlier in his Welcome Address, the Executive Secretary, PTDF, Dr. Bello Aliyu Gusau said, the evolution of the oil and gas has witnessed significant transformation in terms of its effect and impact on national economy and other activities.
Gusau said, the oil and gas industry is dynamic, therefore, the laws guiding the industry must correspondingly be dynamic as well.
The workshop attracted the presence of legal experts from the Public and Private sectors while the plenary featured panel discussants on topics such as, Negotiations and Drafting of oil and gas agreements, Key Contractual Clauses in Oil and Gas agreements, International Dispute Resolution and Arbitration & Fiscal Policy issues as they relate to the oil and gas sector, amongst others.
