Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan on Friday said, there was nothing with the ninth National Assembly to suggest that his leadership has become a rubber stamp or pocketed by the executive arm of government.
He said, those making comments about the Senate being rubber stamp of the executive didn’t know much of values lawmakers were adding to the economy through the legislative activities.
Lawan stated this, while reacting to questions at the press briefing to commemorate a second year anniversary of the ninth Senate on Friday, stating that negative comments about parliamentarians anywhere in the wasn’t a new thing.
He said, he was in the opposition for nineteen years, but now as Senate President, there were certain decisions and actions, he can’t take on his own again.
Earlier in his speech titled: “Behold the Silver Lining in Nigeria”, Lawan stressed that the present Senate developed a three pronged agenda to address the yearning of Nigerians when they were sworn into office on June 11, 2019.
He said: “The three-pronged agenda of the present Senate/Legislature administration are basically
hinged on fighting corruption, eliminating insecurity and economic transformation in Nigeria.
“The mutual dependency and interrelationship between these key objectives cannot be attained with executive pronouncement and action alone, but also with complementary support of the legislature towards strengthening existing institutional mechanisms or creating new institutions as a means of attaining these laudable objectives.
“This Senate, and the National Assembly have shown exceptional patriotism in seeking solutions to the challenges facing our dear country, and in the interventions we have made to some emergencies that confronted us in the last two years.
“We have been resolute in our approaches, committed in our deliberations, and forward looking in the regulatory frameworks that we proffered, cognizance of our goal as legislators eager to leave a lasting legacy.
“The ninth Senate has, for instance, being decisive in its interventions on the problem of insecurity.
“We minced no words in calling on Mr. President to inject fresh energies into our armed forces to bring in new initiatives in the fight against insurgency, banditry, and kidnappings.
He revealed that Senate advised the Executive arm of government to intervene and effect a change in security hierarchy, apart from numerous resolutions passed on the floor of the Chambers in order to bring about vigour to tackle insecurity in Nigeria, which he said, their advice was heeded.
“We are glad that Mr. President heeded our calls, besides those of other well-meaning citizens and effected the needed changes.
“The result of this is the renewed zeal, animated by our gallant troops in the nationalistic fight to rid the country of all forms of criminality.
“We also believe that there is need to overhaul the entire security architecture. We have severally demonstrated that fighting an asymmetrical war is different, and requires a multi-pronged approach, given the unconventional means of the enemies.
“We salute our armed forces for their sacrifices for fatherland and are assured that absolute peace shall soon return to our dear country.
“We shall continue to provide all legislative support to the Services, consistent with our constitutional roles of appropriation, legislation and oversighting.
“The Senate calls on Nigerians to keep on supporting and praying for our men on the battlefield, realizing that we are all stakeholders in the building of a peaceful, virile and prosperous nation.
“We should also support the Services through the provision of valuable information, to be processed into intelligence, considering the changing patterns of crimes, besides the tendency of offenders to alter tactics.
“We also believe that all options should be on the table in our effort to achieve meaningful security in our country.
We have been dutiful in the appropriation of funds, and in ensuring thorough oversight to ensure the funds are judiciously applied. We shall not detract from our responsibilities in accordance with our oath of office.
“The ninth Senate has also aligned with the executive in the fight against corruption, because the malaise has been a bane in our development efforts.”
“Waste, and diversion of public funds are ills we cannot tolerate in the face of dwindling resources, increasing national debt, against the background of the need to stimulate the economy, through the appropriation of funds for infrastructure and utilities.”
