President Muhammadu Buhari has met with the leadership of the National Assembly at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Truetells Nigeria reports that Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Speaker of the House of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila later spoke to State House correspondents after Monday’s meeting.
Lawan said they discussed the issue of coming up with supplementary budget to cater for security and vaccine production.
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.
He also said a joint committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives had been working hard on the Petroleum Industry Bill.
“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.
“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.”
Also speaking to newsmen, Gbajabiamila said when the National Assembly was making a 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.
The visit to Mr President is coming a day before Buhari travels to the United Kingdom for another medical check-up.
The NASS leadership did not disclose if President Muhammadu Buhari discussed handing over to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
