We are all guilty of past mistakes, Saraki admits

Senate President, Bukola Saraki has said that all public office holders in Nigeria since 1999 were involved in the mistakes of the past that led the country to the present political and economic mess.

Saraki who stated this while responding to a question on secrecy of the National Assembly budget and corruption levelled against it by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in a recent letter, said it was wrong for anybody to hold an individual or group of people solely responsible for the ‘mess of the past’.

He said rather than trading blame on the woes afflicting the country, what is needed from all stakeholders is collective participation for the good of all Nigerians, just as he vowed that details of the N115billion National Assembly budget on section-by-section basis, would be transparently put into the public domain this year as against previous practice.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, he said: “We have all been here since 1999 up to the recent past when things were not done right. I was there, you were there, every other political office holder in different capacities were there as well.

“My own view from the 8th National Assembly is that the time for collective participation for the good of all Nigerians is here with us in line with the change mantra of the present administration. We are all on the same page for things to be done differently.

“I think what we need now from all stakeholders is more of cooperation, encouragement and participation as opposed to trying to hold one person responsible for the mistakes of the past that we are all part of. It is clearly not the right thing needed now”.

He disclosed that the National Assembly would soon come up with an amendment bill on the procurement process towards ensuring strict and transparent implementation of the N6.08trillion 2016 budget.

According to him, the implementation of the 2016 budget proposal as presented by the executive, would be decided at the stage of budget defence by the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

OWEDE AGBAJILEKE