• Reps To Brainstorm On Economy
Indications emerged yesterday that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators have resolved to jettison the principle of collaboration and give real opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Senate resumes tomorrow.
A senator from the PDP, who pleaded anonymity, revealed to New Telegraph that the opposition lawmakers were warming up to keep the ruling party on its toes. The senator said: “We in the opposition have shown enough patriotism to Nigerians by collaborating with the APC, but this has not yielded the desired result.
So, we want to change this method and go into real opposition. “The aim is to put the APC on its toes for the benefit of Nigerians because they appear to be sleeping and taking both the opposition party and everybody for granted. It is obvious that they are confused because you can see that they don’t know what to do; and that is because they have nothing to offer.
“So, we are going to put pressure on them when we resume, so that they can wake up from slumber and face the task of governance, which is why they came to power. We will not continue to watch them waste Nigerians’ mandate for the next four years.”
However, New Telegraph was reliably informed that the Senate leadership was doing everything to ensure a crisis-free chamber, so that the lawmakers would harmoniously support the executive to address the multifarious challenges in the country.
A source close to the leadership told our correspondent that the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, and his team had started reaching out to their colleagues, to eschew conflict and controversy on resumption, to enable the Senate work as one indivisible entity for the benefit of the electorate.
The source, who insisted that his name must not be mentioned, said that the leadership of the Senate was highly worried by the failure of the APC-led Federal Government to deliver on its campaign promises to the people, but rather subjected them to hunger and starvation.
Meanwhile, as the National Assembly resumes tomorrow from its two month annual recess, the lawmakers will begin discussion on the state of the nation’s economy. The Senate’s spokesman, Aliyu Sabi, in an interview with New Telegraph in Abuja, said that the Red Chamber had to rise to the occasion by effectively contributing its quota towards resolving the economic crisis in Nigeria.
He also noted that the Upper Chamber would give priority attention to the contentious Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which has suffered serious setbacks in the last eight years of its appearance in the National Assembly.
The confirmation of the 47 ambassadorial nominees, who were screened by the Committee on Foreign Affairs before the Senate adjourned for the two month recess, is also on the agenda. Sabi further hinted that the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as the substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would be considered.
His words: “The PIB will be seriously considered this time around. All the pending communications from the executive like request for confirmation of appointment of the new EFCC boss will also be given our top priority. In the House, deliberation on how to tackle the economic recession will begin.
The House also plans to initiate its own version of the PIB. Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public affairs, Hon. Abdulrazaq Namdas, who confirmed this in a chat with New Telegraph, said the lawmakers were deeply concerned about the financial status of the country and the general suffering in the land. According to him, “the House is seriously worried by the economic recession we have found ourselves as a nation. We are aware Nigerians are going through difficulties.
Therefore, our major concern now is the economy. “So, when we reconvene on Tuesday in plenary, our major preoccupation will be to deliberate on how to rework the economy for the benefit of the suffering masses.” Namdas explained that the House report on the sectoral debate would also be put to use as part of measures to help grow the economy.
On the PIB, he explained that the lower chamber may be coming up with its own version of the bill since it cannot wait endlessly for the executive. He said the Speaker’s earlier declaration that the House would be introducing a new PIB subsists and if we do not receive any on resumption, “we shall initiate our own version.”
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