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| President Buhari |
Strong indications emerged on Saturday
that the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly might have
agreed to invite President Muhammadu Buhari to address a joint session
of the federal lawmakers whenever he returned to the country.
One of our correspondents learnt that
the decision was the outcome of the meeting of the Senate and House of
Representatives principal officers, hosted by Senate President, Bukola
Saraki, at his private residence on Wednesday night.
One of the principal officers of the
Senate, who pleaded anonymity, told PUNCH correspondent that the
leadership of both chambers deliberated extensively on the current
economic situation in the country and came up with some pragmatic
solutions.
The source said the meeting agreed that
the President should first be invited to tell the federal
parliamentarians the specific steps that his administration is taking to
take Nigeria out of recession.
He said, “It was Speaker Yakubu Dogara,
who led the House of Representatives’ team to the meeting, that
suggested the idea and it was adopted by leaders of both chambers.
“The president was asked to come and
brief us on the specific efforts he had taken with his economic team to
tackle the recession.”
He added that some principal officers of
the Senate also suggested that the National Assembly should ask the
President to reshuffle his cabinet with a view to injecting new hands to
come up with fresh ideas on how to save the nation’s economy from total
collapse.
He added that while some called for the
outright sacking of the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, and her
counterpart in the Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Udo Udoma,
others believed that a minor reshuffle of Buhari’s cabinet, would
perform magic.
The Senate leadership at the meeting
were said to have agreed to set up a committee that would compile the
recommendations of all the senators that spoke during last week’s debate
on the economy and come up with a report.
Dogara was said to have assured his
counterpart in the Senate that the green chamber would support whatever
position taken by it, to move the nation forward.
As a follow up to the meeting of the
previous night, Saraki at the plenary on Thursday, named a seven-member
committee to compile the major suggestions raised by members and
present a report which will form part of its resolution on the state of
the economy.
A source in the senate, who craved
anonymity, explained that the report of the seven- member adhoc
committee would be considered at the plenary on Tuesday while a formal
resolution would be passed.
He said, “What the Senate is looking at
is the possibility of putting up the nation’s oil assets for sale to
generate enough resources that could revitalise the economy so that
small and medium scale enterprises can start functioning again.
“We are also looking at a total overhaul
of Buhari’s economic team with a view to bringing on board, fresh hands
that would inject new innovation needed to galvanise the economy and
take it out of recession.
“It is true that President Buhari would
be invited to address the joint session of the National Assembly on the
economy. It would be an opportunity for him to get feedback from
Nigerians because all of us are just coming from our constituencies and
we know what our people are going through.”
One of our correspondents learnt that
the adhoc committee held its inaugural sitting on Friday and decided to
complete its assignment and submit to the Senate leadership on Monday.
A source in the panel said rather than
recommeding the sacking of Adeosun and Udoma, “both ministers would be
summoned to answer question from members of the Senate at plenary.”
It was further gathered that the Senate
leadership would review the recommendations and present them in form of
resolution at Tuesday plenary.
A member of the House who craved
anonymity, said, “There is nothing unusual about calling Mr. President,
who is our party leader and the father of the nation, to come and
address us.
“In the US where we copied our type of
democracy from, the President gives the popular state-of-the-nation
address at intervals to re-assure citizens, especially in times of
difficulties.
“Assurances by the President before the
people’s representatives in the National Assembly will send a strong
message locally and internationally.”
When contacted, the Spokesman for the
House of Representatives, Abdulrazak Namdas, said, “The House did not
summon the President, the House is only asking the President to consider
addressing a joint session. It is a suggestion.”
However, the embattled former Chairman
of the House Committee on Appropriations, Abdulmunin Jibrin, faulted the
idea of asking the President to come and address a joint session on the
grounds that it was initiated by Dogara.
But the Chairman, Senate Committee on
Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Kabir Marafa, said the senate had the
constitutional right to summon the executive.
He said, “It is the constitutional duty
of the Senate to ask questions; to ask any minister questions about his
ministry and if a minister is found wanting why not (give him the boot)?
“There are no sacred cows. There is
nowhere it is stated that once you are appointed a minister you cannot
be recommended for removal.”
Cut Jumbo pay, Afenifere, others tell lawmakers
Meanwhile, a pan-Yoruba
socio-political group, Afenifere, and some social rights associations
have advised the National Assembly members to reduce their jumbo pay in
view of the economic recession in the country.
The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, and the associations made the call in separate interviews with SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday.
Odumakin stated, “The National Assembly
members should cut down their allowances and salaries to show that they
are ready to walk the talk.
“The recession period calls for tax
relief for the poor to increase the marginal propensity to consume,
while the rich should pay more taxes and that is where the Asokoro and
Maitama houses come in.”
On his part, a lawyer and civil rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, said the National Assembly was feeding fat on Nigerians.
He supported the debate on recession
held by the National Assembly, adding that Buhari should hold a special
presidential chat on the economy.
Adegboruwa stated, “As representatives
of the people, the legislators have a duty to debate and proffer
solutions for our liberation from poverty and recession.
“The National Assembly is currently
feeding fat on Nigerians. Their salaries and allowances do not reflect
the current economic abyss of our people.
“As all charities must begin at home,
the legislators should first reduce their salaries and allowances
voluntarily, as exemplary leaders, in order to instil confidence in our
people to embrace sacrifices.”
Also, the President of Campaign for
Democracy, Abdul Usman, said for the debate by the National Assembly to
be meaningful, former governors among them should be ready to forfeit
their pensions.
Usman added that in spite of the
economic recession, some of the 21 senators, who were former governors,
were receiving salaries as National Assembly members and at the same
time getting pensions.
Read more at: The Punch
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