ABUJA – National Assembly has in deference to unabated killings in the land refused to celebrate its Third Year Anniversary.
This is even as Senate President Bukola Saraki urged President Mohammadu Buhari to expedite release of funds for Budget implementation, now that the 2018 budget has been assented to.
He noted that by so doing, “our people can begin to see the positive impact in their lives without delay.”
In his welcome address to Senators from their end of session break yesterday, the SP noted that even though the Senate clocked its third anniversary while on break, there was no celebration, given the sombre mood of the nation.
“We are resuming plenary today under a pall of national anxiety and apprehension over the state of insecurity in the country.
We have been alarmed at so many senseless killings of Nigerians, with the high number of casualties in Plateau being among the most egregious of late.
Let me reassure Nigerians that we are as concerned as they are in the face of this challenge; and we continue to hold government accountable, in order to see to improvement in this area,” he noted.
Senate President Saraki also urged the lawmakers to remain steadfast in carrying out their legislative mandates, the forthcoming 2019 general elections notwithstanding.
He warned that any divided attention in view of the pending elections would not be in the interest of the country.
“We must not be distracted. It is incumbent on us, therefore, to not allow politicking get in the way of our first duty to the Nigerian people, as Senators of the Federal Republic.
On this note, I charge us all to fasten our seatbelts and power on with the work we have been tasked to do.
Posterity is watching, and history will vindicate us if we do the job with diligence and in truth.
Indeed, we have come a long way, and have set a new bar in the legislative history of this country.
We have passed 213 Bills in the period under review and cleared 138 Petitions – surpassing in three years the records of the entire four-year terms of every previous Senate. This is no mean feat.
As we hit the home run therefore, it is important we do not pack-pedal or slow down; we must intensify efforts towards doing all that we are sworn to do for the electorate that voted for us as their representatives.
The work is not done. We as the Senate must continue to exercise our oversight functions to ensure successful implementation and value for money.”
Naturally, we continue to work towards reforming the budgetary process. Clearly, it is necessary for the Executive and the Legislature to work towards a more robust engagement on the need for a better budget environment and process, going forward”, he continued.
He said that despite the sterling achievements of the Senate in the past three years, it must be prepared to tackle all emerging national challenges and see to improvements in he security of lives and property in the country.
