In an obviously ambitious statement, the Senator-elect for Kwara Central, who will be replacing the outgoing Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Dr. Ibrahim Oloriegbe, said after collecting his certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in March that he would surpass Saraki’s achievements in the Senate.
In what many serving and former lawmakers would easily consider as politics of hate taken too far, Oloriegbe was quoted to have said: “Despite attaining the position of Senate President, Saraki has not set any standard of performance for any successor to study or build on.
“The responsive representation I will put up for Kwara Central people within the next four years, coupled with the required legislative engagements to be made on both the floor and at committee levels for good governance in the country, will surpass whatever performance Saraki has rendered in the past.
“Saraki, by his brand of politics and inordinate political ambition, focuses more on national politics and not responsive and quality representation for Kwara Central people, who are his constituents.”
Not a few people will disagree with Oloriegbe. Unverified assertions such as his above statement could not have put into cognizance the fact that Saraki rose from being a governor to become chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF). When he joined the Senate and was chairman Senate Committee on Ecology, he also made his marks. At every level he had shown exemplary leadership and he infuses vibrancy into his responsibility at these levels.
As governor; your attention is fully on the state but as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, you legislate for the entire nation. More so, when you attain the position of a Senate President, the entire Nigeria becomes your constituency.
Under Saraki’s leadership in nearly four years, the Senate had passed over 222 bills and cleared 151 public petitions, these include the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill passed to promote transparency and accountability in the oil industry after 12 years and which President Muhammadu Buhari refused to assent to, on the grounds that the provisions of the bill tends to reduce the president’s powers.
Saraki has been variously ranked as the most outstanding President of the Senate, owing to his commitment and focus despite the travails that lasted the period of his reign. He is brilliant, smart, intelligent, compassionate and futuristic. The Senate under him remains the best in Nigeria’s political history.
Though always referring to his achievements as the President of the Senate as collective achievements with his other colleagues, which would not have been possible without the backing of Nigerians, Saraki is personally satisfied that the 8th Senate worked diligently to meet the aspirations of Nigerians.
When Saraki reeled off the achievements of the Senate under him during the third year anniversary of his leadership, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu stated that: “In this time, we have passed 213 Bills, cleared 138 petitions submitted by the public. We are happy to say that this Senate is the most productive since 1999. It has surpassed the 5th Senate which with 129 bills in four years had the highest number of bills, as against the 6th Senate with 72 bills, and 128 passed by the 7th Senate.
“The number of petitions we have successfully treated to the satisfaction of Nigerians, who filed them dwarfed those treated by the sixth and seventh Senate respectively.”
Still enumerating those factors that set the 8th Senate apart, he said the present Senate worked to grow the economy by passing Bills like the Companies and Allied Matters Act; the Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Act; the Credit Bureau Reporting Act and the Warehouse Receipts Bill; Nigerian Railways Authority Bill; National Transportation Commission Bill, because they were designed to bring about notable reforms to the business environment and strengthening Nigeria’s lending legislative frameworks.
“We are particularly glad that the impact of the Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Act and the Credit Bureau Reporting Act became apparent immediately after they were signed into law as they form the basis for which the World Bank upgraded the rating of Nigeria in its Annual Ease of Doing Business rating,” Saraki said.
He is optimistic that when the new Company and Allied Matter Act (CAMA), which we just passed becomes law, it will bring about more significant results, particularly such that small and medium scale entrepreneurs can access capital, grow and multiply.
Some other important Bills passed by the 8th Senate which have national appeal are the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit Bill; the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill; the Witness Protection Bill; the Whistleblower Protection Bill and the Federal Audit Service Commission Bill. These were efforts directed towards supporting the federal government’s fight against corruption.
Worthy of note is the fact that the National Assembly was quick to act in a manner that prevented Nigeria from being expelled from the global community by expediting the passage of the NFIU bill, which guarantees the exchange of financial intelligence.
The lawmakers also broke the PIB jinx, by passing the Governance Component of the Petroleum Industry Bill. Public hearing has been conducted on the Administrative, Fiscal and Host Community Components of this Bill. This is the most extensive work ever done on the bill since 1999.
There were also some constitutional amendment bills; a number of them will change the face of politics in Nigeria. The ‘Not Too Young to Run’ bill, the Financial Autonomy for Local Government Bill, Financial Autonomy for Houses of Assembly are all bills that received widespread approval among Nigerians and members of the international community as capable of improving governance and ensuring that government serves the people better.
Other measures that won the Saraki leadership applause from members of the public include the provision of details and breakdown of the annual budget of the National Assembly, holding of public hearings as part of the budget preparation process, the proposed Open NASS week aimed at engaging with other arms of government and civil society groups and the frequent discussions with a view to resolving issues involving labour unions, government and other stakeholders.
“We exposed high-level corruption in the management of the North-east relief efforts, and passed the North-east Development Commission Bill, which has now been signed into law.
“We have also engaged stakeholders on the drug epidemic that is ravishing a significant demography of our population and we are set to pass new Bills that will help to address the Mental Health aspect of drug abuse and the law enforcement component that has to do with ensuring that all agencies of the federal government are working in-sync to tackle this menace,” Saraki said.
To ensure that healthcare remains the right of every Nigerian, the lawmakers passed the bill that one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) should be used to establish the Basic Healthcare Fund in the 2018 budget, so that primary healthcare comes within reach of every Nigerians.
Their intention is that the fund will help eliminate the problem of maternal and infant mortality as well as create a healthy population. It will also ensure that all kids get necessary immunisation that keeps them insulated against various diseases while ensuring that mothers have the best care during child birth.
In the aspect of failing security, Saraki has said it time without number that senators “are tired of the frequent observance of one minute silence following the killing of Nigerians in the various conflicts and criminal activities across the country,” and as such, he said the Senate has been engaging with security agencies to ensure that all the necessary laws and funds needed to ensure the safety of lives and property in the country are put in place.
To him, security issues are “work in progress”. And he pledged repeatedly that the National Assembly under him will continue to be transparent, accountable and responsive.
Even when he has been hounded and hunted, those seeking to nail him have not said he has mismanaged National Assembly resources. At best, they have only continued to dig endlessly but fruitlessly into his tenure as governor with the hope of fishing out something incriminating against him.
Earlier this year, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), non-governmental organisation (NGO) set up in 2004 to address developmental and human rights challenges such as corruption, poverty, inequality and discrimination, commended Saraki over the passage of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Bill.
The Nigerian Senate and the House of Representatives recently passed the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Bill, which SERAP said was a major achievement in a post on its Twitter page, saying “Dear Bukola Saraki, the passage of Police trust fund bill is a major achievement.”
Finally, Saraki remains a face of democracy. Despite the open and calculated persecution by forces in the executive who fought him tooth and nail for emerging Senate President without their approval, he held on. And without getting ruffled, he piloted the affairs of the Senate till date.
His admonition to the newly-elected National Assembly lawmakers to conduct their affairs in a manner that commands respect from other arms of government during a dinner for elected 9th assembly lawmakers by the National Assembly management at Nicon Hilton Hotel, Abuja recently, was instructive.
In his remarks, Saraki said the legislature is the pillar of democracy and its independence in a democratic government is non-negotiable.
“In its constitutional role, the National Assembly carries out oversight, makes laws and ensures constituency representation. In carrying out constitutional functions, lawmakers must always recognise that the independence of the legislature is non-negotiable.”
Saraki came, he saw and he conquered. It would only be foolhardy for any incoming lawmaker to castigate him and assume that he has nothing to learn from an outgoing Senate President, whose performance was stellar. Besides, the current situation in Kwara is obviously temporary. For someone who has a lot to offer, he has only gone on sabbatical to be back when he is most needed.
Culled from: ThisDay
