NASS to change legislative agenda in line with COVID-19 realities
The National Assembly has said it will re-work the 9th Legislative Agenda to reflect the realities on the ground in the country as a result of the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, stated this on Tuesday after meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, He said that the National Assembly would make legislations that would be in line with the COVID-19 situation.
And according to him, “The National Assembly is all geared up already to make legislations and pass laws that will align with the situation we have found ourselves.
He also stated that: “Today, we announced in the green chamber that we have set up an ad-hoc committee to begin to think a little bit with the 9th Legislative Agenda, which we all passed with fanfare at that time even without knowing that this is going to be visited on us.
“So, it is incumbent and proper on us to rework that legislative agenda in line with our current realities and that’s what we will do.”
The Speaker Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila said that the National Assembly was prepped up and already looking beyond the COVID-19 situation and working out measures to tackle the challenges that would come up from the pandemic.
NASS promises speedy consideration of 2020 budget cut He said, “We are not out of COVID yet, but I am already calling it post-COVID because we got to move on; economic issues, health issues that need to be addressed.
“Things are going to change; things are going to be different. I met with the vice president earlier on today and we both acknowledged that post-Covid Nigeria is going to be significantly different from pre-COVID Nigeria.”
The Speaker Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila disclosed that his meeting with the new Chief of Staff to the President went very well, adding that they had known each other before now. He said, “We’ve known each other for a while, but that was not political. Now, we’ve got to know each other politically. We had a good discussion.