10Th NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: NNIG Urges Continuity. in Nigeria’s NASS. Leadership.

…Says Leadership should not be subjected to the whims and caprices of self-styled party big wigs

Oru Leonard 

The Nigeria National Integrity Group (NNIG), has called for Continuity in the Leadership of the incoming Senators and House of Representative members in yet to be constituted 10th National Assembly in Nigeria.

This is contained in a press release made available to News Dot Africa at Abuja today.

The Spokesperson of Nigeria National Integrity Group, Joseph Ode who noted that since the ruling party has zoned the exalted principal offices of the National Assembly itemized hereunder:

Senate President: Senator Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President: Senator Barau Jibrin Speaker, House of Representatives: Hon. Abbas Tajudeen Deputy Speaker House of Representatives: Hon. Benjamin Kalu, the polity has been heated up by the strident calls for and against the APC’s allottees to these highly strategic and overly sensitive positions in the legislative branch at the Federal level.

The group therefore called for members of National Assembly to support the continuity in the 10th National Assembly.

According to NIGN “It is our objective and passionately patriotic opinion, however, ±patriot that the very serious issue of the Leadership of the National Assembly should not be subjected to the whims and caprices of self-styled party bigwigs since these demanding positions require the right calibre of leaders and statesmen to ensure and enhance the delivery of the dividends of democracy to Nigeria’s teeming long suffering masses.

“Bearing in mind the astute and altruistic style of the currentleadership of the Nigerian Senate, we hereby submit unequivocally that the current Senate Leadership should be adopted across party lines to be reelected into office in the overall national interest. This will no doubt, foster sustainability, stability and continuity in piloting the affairs of the legislative branch, a critical and vital component of the tripod in the three arms of government.

“There is no denying the fact that the current leadership of the National Assembly under Distinguished Senator Ahmed Lawan has ensured the unprecedented harmonious working relationship between the Executive and Legislative arms of the Federal Government. This is a manifest contradistinction and  a most welcome departure from the unduly fractious and intransigent brinkmanship exhibited by several erstwhile helmsmen at the federal legislature, the worst- case scenario being the recalcitrant and anti-diluvian leadership of the 8thNational Assembly. It will be recalled how the Executive heaped blames on the intransigence of the 8th NASS for its inertia.

“Though the harbingers and beneficiaries of crises have maliciously and viciously dubbed the 9th Assembly a rubber-stamp,ostensibly because they were denied the spoils of the counterproductive executive-legislative wars of attrition, it is however well known that, the executive and legislative amity fostered by the deft handling of the current National Assembly Leadership has without a shadow of doubt, ensured the prompts and positive consideration of the numerous Bills and requests from the executive branch. The unassuming and highly accommodating leadership of the current leadership of the Senate has effectively prompted the Executive to grant their numerous requests and passage of hundreds of Bills.

“With the fortuitous election of a responsive and responsible President in person of the Jagaban, His Excellency AsiwajuBola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria will be best served by the CONTINUATION of the pragmatic and patriotic style of the current Senate under the Leadership of Distinguished Senator Ahmed Lawan, to ensure the rekindling of the renewed hope, a cornerstone of the manifesto of the President-Elect. Nigerians may recall how the PDP adopted the same principle of CONTINUITY IN LEADERSHIP with Senator David Mark Presiding over the 6th and 7th Senates.

“Though the purveyors of parochial ethno-religious sentiments are bound to raise the red flags that the current Senate President hails from the same geopolitical zone as the vice-president-elect, they should however be reminded that as recently as 2015, the Vice President, Senate President and Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives were all of the same ethnic stock and the heavens did not fall. Nigeria has been the poverty capital of the world and will remain so unless and until we eschew the primordial sentiments and parochial interests that have beclouded the recruitment process especially for the highly strategic public offices, both elective and appointive.”