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Tag: Ahmad Lawan

  • New Service Chiefs applying newer strategies to secure Nigeria – Senate President

    New Service Chiefs applying newer strategies to secure Nigeria – Senate President

    President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan has said the appointment of the new Service Chiefs have seen newer strategies applied to secure the country.

    Lawan made the disclosure while speaking to journalists in his home town Gashua on Saturday.

    He stated that this means the Service Chiefs need more resources to be able to perform optimally.

    He also disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari would later this month submit a supplementary budget to the National Assembly to request for more funds to tackle insecurity across parts of the country.

    According to him, the National Assembly would stop at nothing to ensure that normalcy and security is restored to states faced by challenges such as kidnapping, insurgency, banditry and militancy.

    He said: “About the issue of security, I think the National Assembly has done quite a lot in that area working with the Executive arm of government and, recently, on Monday or so, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and I met with Mr. President, and the center of our discussion was the security of the country.

    “How do we engage the security of this country? It has been a nagging issue, but it is not an issue that cannot be solved.

    “With the appointment of the new Service Chiefs, we have seen newer strategies and Mr. President and the National Assembly will be working to provide more resources in the supplementary budget which the presidency will submit sometime maybe this month to the National Assembly.”

    He added: “We (National Assembly) are prepared to give every possible resource to our security agencies to fight and restore normalcy to every part of the country, whether it is insurgency, banditry, militancy or kidnapping.

    “We believe that we need to have security before life can be better, because you can’t do anything or attract direct foreign investments, even farming becomes impossible in some states because of the level of insecurity.

    “So, security is key. It is essential and a necessity that we have to restore normalcy in this area and, Mr. President gave the security chiefs six weeks to restore security in our rural areas, particularly because the rainy season will come pretty soon – maybe in the next two months and without security in the rural areas, there’ll be no farming.

    “And when there’s no farming, our food security will be threatened and our security situation will be further complicated.”

    The Senate President who underscored the importance of unity in national development, said those clamoring for the break-up of the country were in the vast minority.

    According to him, those behind the minority agitations were disgruntled elites bent on satisfying their self-serving interest to the detriment of majority of Nigerians.

    He added that the unity of Nigeria would continue to be the cardinal focus of the National Assembly by ensuring equity, justice and fairness for every part of the country.

    “Nigeria will continue to be one. What we need to emphasize always is equity, justice and fairness to all, for all.

    “I think this is one way to go, probably the only way to go to ensure that everybody feels belonged.

    “This administration has done quite a lot in that area, if you look at the spread of federal government projects across the country, you will agree with me that the federal government has not favored any part of the country.

    “I think the government is doing quite a lot to ensure that there’s that equitable distribution of projects across the country.

    “I believe that the unity of this country will continue to be our major focus. From time to time you hear some people talking of maybe establishing their own country or secession.

    “I believe that majority of Nigerians believe that they should stay together – and I mean the ordinary Nigerians. These are people who believe in the unity of this country.

    “But the elites is where the problem is, the elites will tell you, no, we have to secede. I believe that we should be fair to the multitude of Nigerians – those ordinary people of Nigeria. What they require is leadership.

    “We must give them leadership, a fair leadership. If we have any issues, we should be able to discuss the issues. We should not neglect people when they complain, but that is not likely to be the most popular position of the people from any part of the country. So, I believe that unity of this country is non-negotiable”, Lawan said.

  • BREAKING: Buhari should serve 2 terms and go – Senate President

    BREAKING: Buhari should serve 2 terms and go – Senate President

    President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan has said he stands by the Nigerian Constitution on term limit for President of the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Senator Lawan was reacting to a tweet ascribed to him, alluding he “won’t mind a constitutional amendment to allow unlimited term of office for Presidents if President Buhari wishes to remain in office beyond 2023”.

    In a statement released on Tuesday by Ola Awoniyi, Special Adviser (Media) to the President of the Senate, Lawan stated that the 1999 Constitution has a firm position on the tenure of the President that reflects the popular stand of Nigerians.

    The statement quoted Lawan to have said he finds nothing wrong in that provision of the Constitution and has always stood firmly by it.

    He recalled when former President Olusegun Obasanjo tried to amend the Constitution to stay in office beyond 2 terms and how he stood against it.

    The statement reads: “The Office of the President of the Senate has noted a tweet by one Cmr Mayor attributing a fabricated statement to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.

    “In the mischievous tweet, the Senate President was quoted as saying he “won’t mind a constitutional amendment to allow unlimited term of office for President if President Buhari wishes to remain in office beyond 2023.”

    “Our initial reaction was to ignore the ignoble mischief especially since it is not new, having been posted two years ago on 27 March 2019.

    “But because the tweet has been trending again on social media, it becomes necessary to issue a formal rebuttal of its purport.

    “We therefore say categorically that the Senate President has never made any such statement, before or after 2019.

    “The old tweet which was entirely the handiwork of mischief makers is now being circulated again on social media by purveyors of fake news

    “The 1999 Constitution has a firm position on the tenure of the President that reflects the popular stand of Nigerians.

    “Section 137(1)b states as follow: A person shall not be qualified for election to the office of President if (b) he has been elected to such Office at any two previous elections.

    “The Senate President has never found anything wrong in that provision of the Constitution and has always stood firmly by it.

    “It bears recalling that Lawan was a member of the National Assembly when in 2006 it threw out an attempt to amend that section of the Constitution and elongate the tenure of the President. The National Assembly acted then in obedience to the overwhelmingly popular desire of Nigerians.

    “It is therefore ludicrous to imagine that Lawan would ever be in the vanguard of any such misadventure that is again certain to fail if ever pursued again.

    “The Senate President stands by the well-considered and roundly appreciated provision of the Constitution on the issue and will never subscribe to any move to amend it.

    “We therefore enjoin members of the public to ignore the old fabricated statement mischievously attributed to the Senate President and now being circulated by mischief makers”.

  • DRAMA: Senators battle over size, population of constituencies

    DRAMA: Senators battle over size, population of constituencies

    There was mild drama on the floor of the Senate of the National Assembly (NASS) on Tuesday as Senators engaged in war of words over the size and population of some constituencies.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the drama followed the presentation of a Bill for an Act to establish a Federal Medical Centre in Mubi, Adamawa State.

    The Bill was sponsored by Sen. Aishatu Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Adamawa.

    Drama started when Sen. Seriake Dickson faulted claims by Sen. Dahiru that the population of Mubi was “very much higher than that of Bayelsa’s eight Local Government Areas combined’’.

    Dickson, representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District, countered Dahiru, arguing that the size of Bayelsa – the physical land mass and the water bodies was three times bigger than some states in the country.

    He countered that the sponsor could make her case without reference to Bayelsa.

    “In my Senatorial district, it will take me four days to go round. In my local government, Sagbama, it will take me three days to go round.

    “I just felt I should rise to enlighten the sponsor of this Bill and by so doing the rest of the country.

    “When people talk about population, they should be careful because if you go deep and ask who conducted the census, who verified what and what were counted, who are the residents and how justifiable, you’d shudder,’’ he said.

    However, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan interjected and cautioned Dickson against inputting improper motives to the debate.

    “Apparently, I have to guide this contribution because you have made your point and, giving our standing orders, we shouldn’t impute improper motives on the submission by our colleagues.

    “The discussion is not on the population of Bayelsa or population census conducted before; we should rather concentrate on the main focus, which is on the establishment of a Federal Medical Centre.

    “I agree that there are many questions people will like to raise, but I think the essence of this debate is to focus on the general principles and the merits of the Bill,’’ Lawan said.

    Notwithstanding, Dickson reiterated his point that “debates and submissions must be based on verifiable facts. Dahiru referred to population figures which are not verifiable. The basis is not explained.

    “I only rose to enlighten and contribute without prejudice to the merits or demerits of the Bill; that the factual premise that she has put forward as a reason or one of the reasons why this Bill should be considered is faulty.

    “That should be expunged; it should not form part of it because it is not factual; it is incorrect,’’ Dickson said.

    While advancing arguments in support of her Bill earlier, Dahiru said Mubi, with a total land mass of 506.4km2 and population of 759, 045, has nine neighbouring local government areas.

    “This together with the population of Mubi North makes it 2,089,540 people (very much higher than Bayelsa’s eight Local Government Areas, with a population of 1,704,515).

    “Nonetheless, this historic town has suffered from government neglect in terms of federal presence, especially in the area of tertiary healthcare delivery,’’ she said.

    The President of the Senate thereafter referred the Bill to the Committee on Health to report back in four weeks.

  • Senate President sympathises with victims of fire disaster in Yobe

    Senate President sympathises with victims of fire disaster in Yobe

    President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan has commiserated with the victims of fire disaster at Potiskum Central Market, Yobe.

    Lawan’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr Ola Awoniyi, said this in a statement in Abuja.

    “The senate president sympathises with those whose stalls, wares and other valuables were affected by the fire incident.

    “He also thanked God that the incident involved no loss of life.

    “He commended the state department of fire service for its timely intervention that prevented further spread of the fire and damage to the market,” Awoniyi said.

  • BREAKING: Senate President reveals those funding terrorists, bandits in Nigeria

    BREAKING: Senate President reveals those funding terrorists, bandits in Nigeria

    President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has attributed the lingering insecurity to the funding activities of drug barons who provide insurgent groups such as Boko Haram, bandits and kidnappers with arms and ammunitions to undertake criminal activities in the country.

    Lawan made this known when the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Buba Marwa (Rtd), paid a visit to his office on Thursday at the National Assembly, Abuja.

    According to him, such drug barons who engage in trafficking heroine, cannabis and cocaine have made Nigeria a major transit route for plying the illicit trade, which he added, was responsible for the rise in criminality in the country.

    The Senate President, therefore, called for the restructuring of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), so as to further empower it to rise to the occasion of clamping down on the criminal activities of drug traffickers operating in the country.

    He assured that the National Assembly would support the agency in the aspect of amending the NDLEA Act with a view to enabling the agency achieve its core mandates.

    He said: “The National Assembly members are almost on a daily interaction with our constituents and we know the very debilitating impact of drug abuse in our various communities.

    “You have rightly said almost every community in this country suffers from drug addiction. So, we are very mindful of what is happening.

    “I believe that this agency needs restructuring. Now that you have taken over, we should go the whole haul to restructure the agency, not piece meal touches, because we need to get it right.

    “My personal opinion is that NDLEA should be in the league of EFCC, ICPC, and therefore, the kind of support that those two agencies I mentioned receive, you should receive something like that, in addition to many other things that you should be supported with.

    “So, the National Assembly will definitely work with you, we will partner with you, and will ensure that we do our best to give you the kind of support that will enable you properly to discharge your mandate.

    “Having said this, let me say that Nigeria as a country is in one way or the other a transit route for drugs.

    “Drug peddlers pass their drugs through Nigeria – cannabis, heroin and possibly even cocaine.

    “We believe that this has to stop, because the proceeds of such activities fund terrorism, they fund banditry, you wonder how the bandits have RPGs and these massive arms that they have.

    “Definitely, these are some acquisition provided by some barons, not the bandits themselves.

    “So, we need to ensure that this transit role that Nigerians plays is addressed properly. And here we have to approach this through multi-sectoral efforts – the Customs, Immigration Service, our Security Agencies, and in fact, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and our seaports.

    “Of course, this is not going to be easy, but we have to be steadfast and we should do whatever is possible without the limited resources we have to make you better.”

    Speaking on the drug addiction rate in Nigeria, Lawan underscored the need for multi-dimensional efforts across the various agencies of governments aimed at tackling underlying causes such as illiteracy, unemployment and poverty, responsible for the exposure of youths to criminal tendencies.

    The Senate President also advocated for the inclusion of Drug Education in the curricular for schools and institutions of learning in Nigeria.

    Lawan’s words: “We also believe that the drug addiction level in Nigeria is so bad that we are loosing our youths to drug addiction. Like you have mentioned, the terrorists, the insurgents, the bandits and almost all the criminals have recourse to taking drugs to enhance their courage in order to undertake their illicit activities.

    “So, there then is the need for us to step up our work on preventing our youths from taking the drugs, and that requires a lot of multi-dimensional efforts, because some may be due to lack of employment, some illiteracy, and poverty generally.

    “These are some of the root causes. Somebody out of frustration is recruited to join. And, therefore, this is also something that the National Assembly has been trying hard to ensure that the economy of Nigeria provides for everyone – that we have an all inclusive economy bringing up those who are down.

    “And I believe that this is one way that we have to continue to deal with this scourge. I also believe that we have to go on advocacy to our schools and institutions, and why not, even include in our curricular the issue of drugs, so that right from primary school up to secondary school level, our students should be able to understand the dangers of taking drugs.

    “I believe that this is one incentive to criminality like you have just pointed out, so it is a huge responsibility placed on your shoulders, but you are not going to walk it alone, we are going to walk it with you.

    “I want to urge you, that you get across to other agencies of government – like the immigration service, customs, airports authority, DSS – and the decay that you might have found is probably because the agency has not been able to have a better structure that will enable it fight drug trafficking and even addiction of the 21st century.”

    Earlier, the Chairman of the NDLEA, Buba Marwa in an address delivered said the Ninth Senate under the leadership of Senator Ahmad Lawan has “displayed great interest, competence, support and effort” on the review of the NDLEA Act.

    “This is a very important step to correct some of the lapses in an Act that was promulgated way back in 1989”, he said.

    According to Marwa, the visit was intended to “call for urgent intervention from the Senate President”, warning that, “Nigeria is in a state of siege today.”

    Marwa raised alarm that the drug addiction scourge was largely responsible for acts of criminalities which has pervaded all parts of the country, and the outcome witnessed in the spate of insecurity lately.

    He lamented: “Yes, you have insurgency, banditry and kidnapping, but if you go to Ogoni to speak to somebody about insurgency, he might not be concerned.

    “If you go to some other parts of the country and speak of kidnapping in some areas, it’s not a major concern. If you go to some other areas and speak of banditry, it may not be of major concern.

    “But when you enter the realm of drug abuse, every part of Nigeria, you can for sure say that everybody in this room knows somebody, or a neighbour or family that has affliction with drug abuse.

    “The drug affliction is actually the number one problem we are facing, it is everywhere.”

    “First of all, it destroys our kids, women, our youths, and the family system. Secondly, it is behind the criminalities everywhere now.

    “You have to be crazy to commit some of these criminalities, and what fuels it is drug abuse. Even the insurgents and bandits themselves, they take drugs before they go into their activities,” Marwa added.

  • BREAKING: Senate asks Bawa, new EFCC chair to take a bow and go

    BREAKING: Senate asks Bawa, new EFCC chair to take a bow and go

    The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday confirmed Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa as the substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Mr Bawa was asked to take a bow and go after he mesmerized the Senate with his credentials and provided answers to pertinent questions required for his confirmation.

    Recall President Muhammadu Buhari suspended Ibrahim Magu as Acting Chairman of the EFCC to allow for unhindered inquiry by a presidential investigation panel under the tribunals of inquiry act and other relevant laws.

    He then approved the EFCC Director of Operations, Mohammed Umar to take charge and oversee the activities of the Commission pending the conclusion of the investigation and further directives in that regard.

    However, while Nigerians await the outcome of the investigation, Buhari nominated Mr Bawa as substantive Chairman of the EFCC in accordance with Paragraph 2(3) of Part1, CAP E1 of the EFCC Act 2004.

    Upon Bawa’s arrival at the Senate for screening, the Senate resolved into the Committee of the Whole to consider the Executive Communication of Buhari for the confirmation of Bawa.

    Bawa introduced himself and read his biodata to the Senate, bragging to have been trained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Crime Agency of the United States and the United Kingdom respectively.

    He went further to say that he is going to prove his onus by delivering, in order to give young people a very good representation so that more young people can be given more responsibilities.

    He harped on the need to repatriate all stolen assets back to the country for the benefit and betterment of all Nigerians.

    “I hold a B.Sc and M.Sc from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto State. I am a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist.

    “I have also been trained by the FBI and the National Crime Agency of the United States and United Kingdom respectively.

    “I joined the EFCC in 2014, and was trained in the Act Of Law Enforcement And Financial Crimes Investigation. I happen to be the only EFCC officer that has headed three different zones.

    “By the end of my tenure, I will leave the EFCC a better place. The EFCC is apparently the only cosmopolitan Agency in Nigeria, looking at the composition of the board of the commission.

    “To our strategic partners around the world, I intend to work with them closely by sharing information in order to attain our mutual and independent objective.

    “We need to repatriate all our stolen assets for the benefit and betterment of all Nigerians.

    “I am going to give the young people a very good representation in the governance of this country so that more young people will be given more responsibility in this country.

    “It is a dream of every patriotic Nigerian to see Nigeria growing to a greater height and I hope and pray that if confirmed, I will live to contribute my quota in seeing that this country is taken to a greater height,” Bawa told the Senate.

    TNG reports Bawa was grilled by 19 Senators with 14 others yet to speak before Senate President Ahmad Lawan asked the Senate if the new EFCC chair should take a bow and leave.

    The Senators chorused yes, and Bawa took a bow and left the floor of the Senate. The Senate then reverted to plenary and confirmed Bawa as the substantive Chairman of the EFCC.

    Following the confirmation, Bawa becomes the youngest person to ever hold the office of the EFCC chair at the age of 40.

  • EFCC: We’ll keep tradition in screening Bawa – Senate President

    EFCC: We’ll keep tradition in screening Bawa – Senate President

    President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan has said the tradition of the upper legislative chamber would be kept in screening Chairman-designate of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Senate President stated this immediately after reading a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari, requesting for the confirmation of Bawa as chairman of the EFCC on Tuesday.

    The letter which was addressed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, was read during the start of plenary.

    According to Buhari, the request to screen and confirm Bawa’s appointment as substantive Chairman of the Commission was “in accordance with paragraph 2 subsection 2 of Part 1 CAP E1 of the EFCC Act 2004.”

    Bawa, aged 40, who holds a B.Sc degree in Economics, and Masters in International Affairs and Diplomacy, is presently the Head of Operations of the Commission’s Lagos office.

    After his confirmation by the Senate, Bawa is expected to take over from Mohammed Umar Abba, who was appointed as Acting Chairman by President Buhari last year, following the suspension of the immediate past Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu.

    The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, immediately after reading the President’s request, said that the screening of Bawa as substantive Chairman of the Anti-graft agency will be carried out during plenary in line with the tradition of the Upper Chamber.

    “The screening of the Chairman-designate of the EFCC will be done in plenary, in keeping with our tradition here,” he said.

  • Killing of farmers in Borno is barbaric – Lawan

    Killing of farmers in Borno is barbaric – Lawan

    The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has condemned the killing on Saturday of rice farmers by terrorists in Zabarmari in Borno State.

    Lawan decried the incident as another act of barbarism against innocent Nigerians minding their own business.

    The Senate President condoles with the families of the victims, Government and people of Borno State over the senseless carnage.

    “This incident is heart-rending and again demonstrates why we must all continue to support the security forces to thwart the criminals in their evil determination to impose a reign of terror on the North East of Nigeria.

    “I commiserate with the families of the deceased, Governor Babagana Zulum and the entire people of Borno State and assure them of the sympathy and solidarity of the National Assembly.

    “This heinous crime is particularly sad given the ongoing spirited efforts by the Federal Government at ensuring food security in Nigeria through the many programmes that have been put in place to support the agriculture sector.

    “I urge the security agencies to redouble their efforts with a view to bringing an end to mindless violent crimes in our country,” Lawan said.

    The Senate President said the National Assembly will continue to support the Executive in strengthening the security agencies towards improving the security of lives and property of Nigerians everywhere in the country.

  • We are taking our time to do a thorough job on PIB – Senate President

    We are taking our time to do a thorough job on PIB – Senate President

    We are taking our time to do a thorough job on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) because it is a very delicate and sensitive piece of legislation, President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan has said.

    Lawan made the comments on Friday while speaking on the expectation of Nigerians regarding the passage of some critical bills.

    He identified the critical bills to include the PIB, the Amendment to the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Bill and even the 2021 Appropriation Bill all before the National Assembly.

    Speaking at a retreat for members of National Assembly Management and National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) in Abuja, Lawan said almost every country now has oil and for that, it was important to come out with a thorough PIB.

    “On the 2021 Appropriation Bill, I want to assure Nigerians that the National Assembly is working hard to see to its passage by the second week of December, 2020, by the Grace of God.

    “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 on the other hand is one of the most essential legislations that we have to have in this country, and we have already commenced work on it. What we want to ensure is that the bill is passed before the end of the second quarter of next year.

    “We are taking our time to do a thorough job on the bill because it 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 it’s revenues from this industry as it should.

    “What we are going to come out with will of course also support our business people, the oil companies that are investing and infact retain and encourage new ones to come to Nigeria to invest.

    “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. So we will ensure that we have a competitive environment for business and for investment.

    “Regarding the Electoral Act (Amendment Bill) and the constitutional amendment, it is my assurance that the National Assembly would have been done with the current process by 2021.

    “The constitutional amendment at the moment, is not very warm because of the activities on the 2021 budget but the two committees in the Senate and the House are already working behind the scene to ensure that as soon as we pass the budget, the activities will start in earnest.

    “We believe that we should pass our ammendments within 2021. Similarly the ammendment to the Electoral Act is going to be within that year 2021 to ensure that we don’t encounter unnecessary distractions,” Lawan said.

  • Lawan reveals when NASS will pass Nigeria’s 2021 budget

    Lawan reveals when NASS will pass Nigeria’s 2021 budget

    The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan says the National Assembly will pass the 2021 budget of N13. 08 trillion by the second week of December.

    Lawan made this known while declaring open a retreat for members of National Assembly Management and National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) in Abuja on Friday.

    The Senate had in October, adjourned plenary for budget defence by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

    “We are working to pass the 2021 budget by the second week of December and we are working very assiduously, we will ensure there is every possible scrutiny of the budget presented by the executive arm of government.

    “So far, we achieved that in 2020 budget. We believe that we did the right thing, we promised Nigerians we will do that and it is going to be part of our legacy in the 9th National Assembly,” Lawan said.

    The President of the Senate said that other critical areas that will be considered when the Upper Chamber resume on Nov. 24 ,was the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

    “The PIB which is one of the most essential legislations to have in this country, we intend to pass it before the end of the second quarter of 2021.

    “And then again, we will take our time because this is a very delicate and sensitive piece of legislation.

    “We will ensure what comes out of the National Assembly in the PIB is a product of legislation that will ensure that Nigeria earns its revenues from the oil and gas, as it should.

    “And of course, also, we will support our business people, the oil companies that are investing, and in fact retain and encourage new ones to invest in Nigeria,” he said.

    Lawan aded:”So it has to be a win situation, 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, the oil companies will have no difficulty relocating to other countries.

    “So we will ensure that we have a competitive environment for business and for investments.”

    He said that the two committees on Constitution amendment at the Senate and House of Representatives were already working behind the scene to ensure that the amendment was done in 2021.

    “As soon as we pass the budget, the Constitution amendment activities will start in earnest.

    “We believe that we should pass our amendments within 2021,” he said.

    Lawan added that the amendment of the Electoral Act will also be done within 2021 in good time to prevent unnecessary distractions.