The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan says Nigeria needs the support of friends across the world in her bid to overcome the current security challenges.
Senator Lawan said this while receiving the visiting UK Minister for Africa, James Duddridge, who was at the National Assembly in the company of the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing and some of her officials in Abuja.
He said: “We believe that our country, our Government has to do a lot to secure the people, their lives and their property and this is the time that all our friends across the world need to support us, give us the kind of support that we need. So it is an opportunity for me to appreciate what the British government has done so far and of course like Oliver Twist, we will ask for more of support in the areas of weapons, training that we have been receiving from you.”
Also responding to a remark by Duddridge, the Senate President said the National Assembly would pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) by May while the Electoral Amendment Bill would be passed by June.
He said:“The National Assembly is working tirelessly to ensure that we pass the PIB which is a very important piece of legislation for our country. This time around we have devised different means and ways of ensuring that it is not only passed by the parliament but it is assented to by the President.
“Our belief is that we have long been working together with the Executive arm of government to ensure that we don’t leave any gaps that will engender unnecessary controversy between us on the bill and so far it has been paying off.
“But we also believe that this is one piece of legislation that will give significant or sufficient incentives to the oil companies especially the International Oil Companies(IOCs) doing business in Nigeria.”
Earlier in his remarks before the meeting went into closed session, the visiting UK minister indicated interest in the progress made by the National Assembly on some bills such as the Electoral Reforms Bill and the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
He also sought to have a view of the Senate Chamber to know the differences and similarities with the British parliamentary chamber.