Saraki: 2019 must not overshadow governance

The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, yesterday, tasked all political leaders in the country not to allow preparations towards the 2019 general elections to overshadow their responsibility to the citizenry.
Saraki gave the task in his address to welcome senators from their Christmas and New Year recess, stating that it would amount to high level insensitivity to the needs of the people if elected and appointed office holders allowed partisan politics to override governance.
Noting that it is too early to focus all attention on 2019, he said: “This is my appeal: it is too early for 2019 politicking to override the legislative agenda and the larger work of governance. We have begun a good thing with the recovery of the economy as the core of our agenda; let us see it to its proper conclusion.
“It would be most insensitive to the needs of the people of this country if we were to do otherwise. I am directing this appeal not only to us in the chamber, but to the National Assembly as a whole, as well as to the Executive and indeed all political actors,” he said.
Saraki also lamented the lingering fuel scarcity in the country, saying that the National Assembly was still pained by the unfortunate situation that plagued the country towards the end of last year, as well as the needless loss of lives in many parts of country through violent attacks.
He, however, commended the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) and the Senate Adhoc Committee on Security for cutting short their recess to respond to the issues.
He said: “We, as representatives of the people, feel the pain of the people. Things being the way they were, we could not but respond to the crisis.”
On the Benue killings, he said: “We condemn these killings in the strongest terms, and we declare that mindless bloodletting has no place in our society. I offer our sincerest condolences to the people of Benue, and indeed to all who have suffered the loss of their loved ones as a result of these wanton acts.”
The Senate President also assured that the lawmakers would not relent in their efforts to conclude work on the ongoing constitution amendment process and the 2018 budget.
“Currently, there are two major ongoing issues before us – namely the Constitutional Amendment process and the 2018 Appropriation Bill. It is encouraging to see that the Assemblies in the states have already started work on the constitutional amendment; I urge us all to keep a keen eye on developments on that front.”
.newtelegraph