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Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has charged the Federal Government to waive two-month electricity bill for Nigerians as part of measures to cushion the effects of the coronavirus endemic on the citizenry.
He also canvassed an all-inclusive relief package for the citizens.
Gbajabiamila said one of the most effective means of alleviating the financial burden of the stay-at-home order was for government to give a 100 per cent waiver on the electricity consumed by every household in the country.
He spoke yesterday in Abuja during a meeting involving the National assembly leadership, Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emiefiele, Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, and others for an update on the COVID-19 interventions.
He noted that without the cooperation and collaboration between the executive and the legislative arms of government, such a laudable idea might be impossible to achieve.
His words: “We are indeed in an exciting time in Nigeria, and it is how we deal with and confront the problem that would determine how we end up. So, I am waiting with bated breath and I am anticipating the various packages and stimuli and how we intend to, as a government, deal with the times we find ourselves in.
“I look forward to listening to what is on ground, and I am even looking forward to more input from the National Assembly when it is time for us to make an input.”
Gbajabiamila pointed out that Nigerians should be the focus of whatever stimulus package and actions for the aftermath of the crisis period, which he said, should be treated with every sense of purpose.
Responding, Ahmed informed the National Assembly leadership that her ministry would present a revised 2020 budget as well as the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF)/ Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).
Senate President Ahmad Lawan, on his part, said the meeting was to keep everyone abreast with the proposed interventions of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration
