Lawan: N’Assembly will Not Fail Buhari

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, has said the ninth National Assembly would support the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to achieve a better, prosperous, and secure Nigeria.

Lawan made the declaration at a town hall meeting with members of his constituency in Gashua, Yobe State.

His Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi, disclosed this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.

“We will make sure the ninth National Assembly gives the president the full support needed to achieve the Next Level agenda in the interest of our people and the country.

“Though there are pockets of opposition from other sides, I assure you all that we won’t fail,” Lawan told a crowd that welcomed him.

Lawan, however, appealed for patience, noting that there was no perfection in human beings.

“Where we haven’t performed well, I encourage you all to draw our attention to it, and as your representatives, we will work with the president to meet your expectations,” he said. Lawan announced a donation of N10 million to the victims of the flood incident in his local government area of Bade, pending the intervention of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

He assured his constituents in Yobe North that he would strengthen his efforts to meet their expectations.

He also announced his decision to double his intervention in the area of education for the poor families by paying the tuition of anyone who secured admission into tertiary institutions.

Nigeria Still Committed to Resuscitating Ajaokuta Steel, Says BPE The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has restated that the federal government’s determination to make Ajaokuta Steel Company Ltd. (ASCL) fully operational.

The Director-General of BPE, Alex Okoh, said this in a statement signed by the Head, Public Communications of the organization, Amina Othman, yesterday in Abuja.

Okoh spoke when he led a team on a fact-finding visit to Ajaokuta complex.

He said that the visit was to avail the team the opportunity to physically inspect the complex and get first-hand information on issues affecting the plant.

“I wish to state the willingness of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to resolve the ongoing legal issues between the Federal Government and Global Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd. (GINL).

“The government is also desirous to see that ASCL is completed and made operational with the support of the National Assembly, Management of ASCL and other stakeholders,’’ he said.

According to him, the team also inspected some major plants, installations and facilities in the complex.

Okoh listed some of the facilities visited to include the Steel Making Plant (Blast Furnace), Light Section Mill, Wire Rod Mill, Medium Section and Structural Mill.

Others are the Thermal Power Plant, Lime Plant, Machine and Tools Shop, Water In-take Plant, Rail tracks and Road network.

He said the team verified and confirmed the management’s claim that many of the machines in the respective units were in a good condition and would only require minor repairs to operate effectively.

Okoh said that the team also observed that the status of ASCL plant was not as dilapidated as assumed generally, but that the plant was rather in a reasonably operational state.