The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan says the cooperation between the two arms of government earned the outgoing lawmakers of the National Assembly the stigma of being referred to as “rubber stamp lawmakers”.
Lawan said he is not worried by the stigma because it was the sacrifice the parliamentarians had to make to achieve harmony with the executive and concomitant development in the country in the last four years.
He noted that the resolve of the 9th National Assembly to maintain a cordial relationship with the Executive attracted heavy criticisms to the lawmakers from the Nigeria publics.
The outgoing Senate president made this known in Abuja, while addressing journalists on Wednesday, informing them that it was the harmonious relationship between the Executive arm of Government and the apex legislative body, that paved the way for Buhari’s successes.
According to him, the 9th Senate was instrumental to the successes recorded in governance by the former President Muhammdu Buhari. Lawan scored the 9th National Assembly high in the three core areas of legislative functions of lawmaking, representation and oversight. He said the Senate passed many bills within its life span, out of which Buhari assented to about 120 of them.
He also mentioned that the expiring Assembly achieved its legislative agenda through bipartisanship which made them very efficient in working for the nation.
Lawan described the four years of the 9th Senate as an opportunity to move the country forward, stating that on the whole, the NASS made its mark in legislation and national development, including returning of budget cycle to January to December, passage of Petroleum Industry Bill, now Petroleum Industry Act, the Electoral Act 2022, among others.
“Our partnership and understanding among ourselves in the 9th Senate has made it possible for us to achieve so much, even things people thought are impossible,” he said.
“We have done what we should do to ensure service delivery to the people of Nigeria. It has been a worthwhile and adventurous one working for Nigerians, considering the masses as of utmost interest.”
Commenting on the public view that Nigerian parliament gulps more money, Lawan explained that is was because of the need to develop the Legislature, which had been disadvantaged.
The President of the Senate therefore described the Senate Press Corps as worthy partner in the development of Nigeria through factual and objective reportage and commended the members for working for the interest of the nation and urged the Corps to extend the cordial relationship to the 10th Senate.
Recall that Lawan has spent 24 years in the National Assembly, and has won re-election to the 10th Senate.
