The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said on Friday the National Assembly is doing everything within its power to ensure the passage of the 2021 Budget by the second week of December.
Lawan, who disclosed this at a retreat for top management staff of the National Assembly and National Assembly Service Commission, added that the amended constitution and the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) would be passed next year.
He said: “We are working to pass the 2021 budget by the second week of December by the grace of God. We are working very assiduously; we will ensure that there is every possible scrutiny of the budget estimates presented to us by the executive arm of government.
“So far, we achieved that in the 2020 budget. We believe we did the right thing. We promised Nigerians that we will do that and it is going to be part of our legacy in the ninth National Assembly.
“The PIB is one of the most essential legislations that we have to have in this country. We intend to pass it by the grace of God before the end of the second quarter of next year.
“We will take our time because this is a very delicate and sensitive piece of legislation. We will take our time to ensure that what comes out of the National Assembly in the PIB is a product of legislation that will ensure that Nigeria earns its revenues from this industry as it should.
“The bill will also support our business people, the oil companies that are investing, and in fact retain and encourage new ones to come to Nigeria to invest.
“So it has to be a win-win for all of us. We will not be selfish as a country, trying to take everything. No. Oil is like water now. Almost every country now has oil. So if you don’t provide a competitive environment in Nigeria, oil companies will have no difficulty relocating to other countries.”
Olalekan Ajimoti – Blogger, Content Writer, and Digital Marketer helping brands and retailers build 8-figure e-commerce since 2016.
As a corporate trainer, brand communications expert, and brand consultant, I help people start, stay and grow in business leveraging digital skills and traditional expertise.
