The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Monday met behind closed doors with the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Lawan later told State House correspondents that the meeting discussed “issues of serious national concern.”
Specifically, he said they discussed the issue of coming up with supplementary budget to cater for security and vaccine production.
Lawan claimed that security situation was gradually improving in the country.
He said, “We have come to meet with Mr President to discuss issues of serious national concern. One of those issues is the issue of supplementary budget.
“Both executive and legislative arms believe that we should have supplementary budget to provide for funding of the COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria, as well as the security; providing more resources and platforms to our security agencies.
“Today, I am sure that in Nigeria, there are no more grave issues than COVID-19 and security situation in the country.
“I want to use this opportunity to say that the security situation is gradually improving and I am sure that when we give more resources to our security agencies, we will see an even faster recovery of the situation.”
Lawan said Nigeria should make resources available for the country’s scientists to collaborate with other scientists from across the globe and develop local vaccine for COVID-19.
When asked if the National Assembly is ready to make money available to a vaccine candidate who is demanding $100m for trial, he said the government was not thinking in that direction.
On security challenges, he said the National Assembly would be ensuring approval of funds for the purchase of platforms, weapons and equipment for security agencies.
On the Petroleum Industry Bill, Lawan said a joint committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives had been working hard on the bill.
He said, “At the moment, I think they are about to start writing the report, which they will lay before the two chambers of the National Assembly sometimes in April.
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“It is our determination and plan and design that were able to pass the PIB by the end of April, by the grace of God or latest should anything untoward happens before the middle of May.
Gbajabiamila reiterated Lawan’s position on the PIB.
He said when the National Assembly was making commitment to Nigerians that the bill would be passed by the end of April, it did not take into cognisance the fact of Easter break and Ramadan.
On security, Gbajabiamila noted that the nation’s new service chiefs have hit the ground running.
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