From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, has said that no single piece of legislation can ever be perfect.
Lawan stated this at a town hall meeting organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture on protecting oil and gas infrastructure held in Abuja.
Lawan’s remark comes in the aftermath of the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) by the National Assembly and the reactions from various quarters.
Lawan, who was represented by the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, recalled that upon the inauguration of the 9th Senate in June 2019, he assured Nigerians that the 9th Senate was going to pass the PIB.
‘And of course, many people will say after all these long years in the National Assembly, we are not going to be able to do it.
‘But we assured Nigerians that the 9th Assembly is about working for Nigerians. And we believe any piece of legislation must not necessarily be perfect because you can never have legislation that is perfect.
‘And that is why provisions are made in the constitution and even in our own laws or standing orders, telling us how we are going to amend any law that we so make.
‘When we operate a law and there is need, we come back and look at the law and make the necessary amendments,’ Lawan said.
Lawan further said the commitment to Nigerians under his leadership of the National Assembly was one that all the legislators across all political divide had committed to and that was the reason why with thorough engagement, they were able to muster the courage to pass the PIB as it is.
‘We know and we are aware of the sensitivity that some components of that bill has, in particular, the issue of the host community.
‘And I think we are here today to shed more light on an issue that borders on the sustainability and the livelihood of our host communities,’ Lawan stated.
The Senate President further said the National Assembly recognised the difficulty, the environmental degradation in the Niger Delta region and other issues that were yet to be touched.