President Muhammadu Buhari said his administration was not against ongoing agitations for constitutional reforms, but that due process should be followed to achieve such goals.
Buhari made the position known on a broadcast to commemorate this year’s Democracy Day on Saturday.
According to him, the primary responsibility for constitutional amendments rests with the National Assembly (NASS).
However, he expressed his administration’s willingness to play an essential role in the constitutional amendment process without usurping the powers of NASS.
He said: “In responding to the challenges that this period imposes on us, the government also recognizes the need to recognize notions of marginalization and agitation for constitutional amendments among various segments of our population.
“While this government is not opposed to constitutional reform as part of our nation-building process, everyone must understand that the primary responsibility for constitutional amendments rests with the National Assembly.
“This body which, as I said, is the arm of government responsible for constitutional changes has concluded the preliminary stages of amending and improving our constitution in a way that will appeal to the majority of Nigerians.
“The government is however prepared to play an essential role in the constitutional amendment process without usurping the powers of the National Assembly in this regard. “
Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the president noted that the government’s response to the pandemic involved making difficult choices to balance livelihoods and public health concerns.
“Over the past year, Nigeria and the whole world have faced COVID-19 for which no one was fully prepared,” he said.
He said, however, that the government was able to ensure that the various lockdown measures did not impact too negatively on the ability of ordinary Nigerians to continue to provide for themselves.
The president revealed that during the pandemic his administration paid N5,000 each to one million Nigerians using a rapid response registry.
He said the government has also advanced 20,000 to 750,000 naira to beneficiaries of the conditional cash transfer program and has provided 1.37 million Nigerians with CACOVID palliatives.
The president revealed that the federal government had released 109,000 metric tonnes of food reserves and 70,000 metric tonnes of grain to the poor and vulnerable in the 36 states of the federation to cushion the negative impacts of the pandemic.
He said that in addition, the government has reduced interest rates from nine to five percent for troubled businesses and extended credit facilities to 548,345 beneficiaries. (NAN)
