Saraki to Lawan Group: You’re Not Elected into Senate to Fight for Leadership Position

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Tuesday, July 28th, 2015

Ayodele Afoabi, Abuja – The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki on Tuesday sounded a note of warning to Senator Ahmed Lawan and his group saying that they were not elected to come and fight for leadership positions.

Saraki who read the riot act in his speech to welcome back senators from their recess, stated that Nigerians did not give them their mandate to come and pursue leadership, their mandate was for the lawmakers to pursue governance and bring solutions to their burning national issues.

His words: “It is time we remind ourselves of the solemn promise to deliver to our people real change. Leadership is secondary to our primary responsibility of good governance.

“As Senate President you have given me responsibility to ensure that our primary responsibility is placed on the table not under the table. Nigerians did not put their lives on the line for politics but for the delivery of good governance.”

He also declared the upper chamber’s willingness to work with President Muhammadu Buhari to comprehensively rout Boko Haram saying “we will defeat terrorism in our country and region because we have the will to win this fight”.

Saraki also vowed to tackle oil theft in the country describing the menace as unacceptable and warned that mind boggling leakages in the country’s oil receipt cannot go on

Saraki lamented that in recent times the country has seen resurgence in the activities of Boko Haram and some other criminal elements in the society leading to the death of many citizens

He maintained that the country cannot continue to let senseless groups cause untimely death to Nigerians without hindrance adding that this is another sad addiction to the cocktail of security challenges the country can ill- afford at this time.

He also promised to constitute a high powered senate delegation to visit the troops on the battle line and some internally displaced persons in the North East to have a firsthand appreciation of the challenges, the suffering and plight that has befallen the people in the area.

According to him, the Senate will work with the House of Representatives to develop concrete steps towards the rehabilitation and renewal of the battered local economy of the north east

He said: “Make no mistake about it, the aim of these militant groups is simple, to test our resolve and disintegrate our unity. But let me reiterate the readiness and willingness of the National Assembly to support and work with President Muhammadu Buhari to comprehensively rout Boko Haram.

“We join Mr. President in saying “that we will defeat terrorism in our country and region, because we have the will to win this fight.”

Our resolve is collective, we urge all friends of Nigeria including the United States and the entire international community to join us.”

He also decried that the country’s revenue profile has taken a great hit with the economic realities stating that aside the drop in the oil receipt, the country has seen revenues plummet due to oil thieves, indiscriminate grants of numerous import duty waivers, concessions and grants.

He added that Nigerians want to see the National Assembly tackle these obscenities in the country’s revenue systems as it denies the people the right to good governance.‎