Cordial relations between Presidency, NASS not anathema – Lawan

By Tunde Opalana, Abuja

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has said it is not an anathema for a ruling party controlled legislature to work harmoniously with the executive arm of government.

Rather than being acrimonious, he said he is going to lead the 9th National Assembly to harmoniously work with President Muhammadu Buhari to help him deliver on his mandate of turning around the fortunes of Nigerians.

Welcoming his colleagues back after a two –week break, Lawan in a speech titled: “Now the work begins” during plenary on Tuesday, however, said he will not compromise the integrity of the National Assembly.

The Senate President said he is aware that there are people for whom any notion of the leadership of the National Assembly controlled by the ruling party working in harmony with the executive is anathema.

This notion, he said is not the way the presidential system of government was designed to function and that he is not ready for any adversarial or acrimonious relationship with the executive arm.

He promised to work closely with President Buhari in the interest of Nigeria, without compromising the integrity of the National Assembly as an independent arm of government with oversight powers.

“As lawmakers, one of the powerful tools we have for our work is the power of oversight which is meant to enhance transparency and accountability. In exercising these powers, we will not only review, monitor and supervise projects being implemented by the executive, we will critically examine them vis-à-vis the cost and whether they align with our national aspirations.

“And we will follow the progress of these projects right from conception to when they are finally delivered to the people. But, we will do so with every sense of responsibility.

“I have been in the National Assembly since 1999, first as a member of the House of Representatives and from 2007 as a senator, so I am conversant with the role of the legislature and the principle of separation of powers, both in theory and in practice.

“The system of checks and balances which we practice in Nigeria today, was enshrined to safeguard the values of justice and the rule of law and deliver public good. Therefore, in a season when majority of Nigerians are more concerned with outcomes that reflect their concerns, the best way to serve that interest is through cooperation and collaboration.

“In a period of dwindling resources amid rising population, the expectations of our people remain huge. But, to deliver those essential services without which our society can neither develop nor thrive, the executive and the legislature must work together. So, in exercising our mandate as lawmakers, we must at all times, and in all circumstances, be guided by how our action will positively impact the greater majority of our people.

“Each of us, as lawmakers must also resolve that the exchange of views, especially within this hallowed chambers will be constructive and that we will respect one another. Tolerance which we cannot legislate upon in this chamber, is a virtue we must all strive to promote in a bid to reposition our multi-ethnic and multi-religious country. On my part, I pledge to lead in a bi-partisan and unifying manner,” he reiterated.

Lawan solicited the support of his colleagues to leverage on their position as lawmakers to help President Buhari deliver on his mandate in spite of the challenges facing the country, adding that “l will be doing more of that in the coming weeks and months. If we must build an economy that lifts majority of our people out of poverty, there is need for a serious collaboration between the executive and the legislature.

“It should worry us in this chamber that majority of our people still grapple with extreme poverty. But, while how to tackle the growing inequality should be part of our legislative agenda, the security challenge posed by insurgents, kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminal cartels from North to South, East to West will require our collective efforts.

“We also need to consolidate on the oil sector reforms started by the last Senate even as we help the executive to reinvigorate the war against corruption with necessary legislations. If there is one issue that is dear to me and which we must all take very seriously, it is that more than 10 million of our children are out of school.

“As a former lecturer who has also in the past chaired the House of Representatives Committee on Education, I subscribe to the view that all children, no matter where they live or whatever their circumstances, have the right to quality education. Even though primary education is officially free and compulsory, over 10 million of the country’s children aged 5 – 14 years are out of school.

“This is a challenge for us in the next four years. I am well aware that the problems of our country are quite enormous, but they are not insurmountable. If we all work together as members of the same government, with different roles, we will achieve our goals to better the lot of the Nigerian people.”