Vice President, Senator Kassim Shettima, has appealed to senators-elect to consider the stability of the country rather than the stability of their pockets in their quest to elect the presiding officers of the 10th Senate on 13th June, 2023 where formal proclamation will be made.
The Vice President made the appeal on Saturday during the valedictory session of the 9th Senate.
Shettima’s appeal became necessary on the rumours making the rounds that some desperate aspirants for the positions of the presiding officers of the 10th Senate are going about lobbying senators-elect with dollars.
It would be recalled that some senators-elect are not happy with the zoning arrangements made by the National Working Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC) which zoned the office of Senate President to the South-South of the country while the position of Deputy Senate President is zoned to the North West.
Shettima in his speech at the valedictory session said ” To my fellow colleagues who will depart from this chamber, I address you not as colleagues left behind but as experienced lawmakers who have become an integral part of my history. We have shared many things in common and standing shoulder to shoulder in times of adversity. We have fought relentlessly for the betterment of our dear country.
“To my incoming colleagues, I will leave you with a paradox. The stability of this nation is superior to the stability of our pockets. On Tuesday, let us vote wisely. Let us vote for the Nigerian nation.
“The stability of our country is better than the stability of our pockets. Let us vote wisely on Tuesday,” he stressed
Also present at the well-attended valedictory session was the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu who lauded her colleagues for making contributions through legislations to the development of the country as she also stated some of her experience in the red chamber.
According to her ” God sustained me for three terms, from 7th Assembly to 9th Assembly. I am still confused myself how I have been able to continue the journey because serving the nation takes a lot of sacrifice.
“It started with the sacrifice from your homes, your children even your better half. It is also a great privilege for all of us that are here because over the years, we have made friends, brothers, sisters across our various tribes, ethnicity and religious divide. We have the entire Nigerians being represented and we were able to forge ahead and come together when we need to make very good decisions in the overall interest of the nation. We did that as elder statesmen and women.
“My thanks will go to my husband for even giving me support. He gives me advice when I seek for it. He gave me the freedom to be myself and to be able to make contributions necessary to improve the lives of our people especially our women, youths and children. God used me to do exploit in this hallowed chamber. I did all that is required of every legislator. Motions, bills including those that had been assented into law”, she said.
Other senators too turn to express their experiences in the 9th Senate with emotion laden voices as one them betrayed his emotion and wept openly.
Specifically, the Chief Whip of the 9th Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu used the occasion to thank his colleagues for standing by him during his travail in the prison while he again denied all allegations level against him.
In an emotion laden voice couple with tears Kalu said ” I am not a thief, I have three factories in Ota, I have another three factories in Aba, those who have no meaningful source of wealth are roaming about the streets without any molestation. It is a pity that those whom I assisted with my hard-earned money or given transport fare are now behind my ordeal, their motive is to kill me, that is Nigeria for you,” he said.
