By Musa Adamu and Ikechukwu Okaforadi
The Senior Special Adviser on National Assembly matters (Senate), Sen Ita Enang, has disclosed that even as members if the National Assembly were on their annual vacation, the executive arm of the government would continue to consult their leadership on pending communication.
Addressing the press yesterday two days after NASS proceeded on two months break, Enang, who disclosed that issues that came necessitated the legislators to embark on the break earlier than planned, express hope that the lawmakers would put the nation first, as it affects the approvals pending before them.
He said: “The Executive will be consulting with the Legislature over matters pending consideration such as 2018 Virement proposals, approval of borrowings to fund the 2018 Appropriation, approval of the pending 2018 budget of 64 Government owned Corporations laid by Mr. President along with the 2018 budget, including request for approval of appointments which pendency has affected the fulfillment of the purposes meant.
“We pray the Legislature will find the normal ingenious patriotic means and time to attend to these within the period of the vacation in the interest of the Nation which the Legislature is passionately committed to.”
Conveying the Presidency’s best wishes to the lawmakers as they embarked on the annual vacation he added that the Executive would keep treating the legislators with respect due their persons and offices.
He further assured the lawmakers of the presidency’s readiness to keep working with them as Legislators for the Federal Republic of Nigeria who make laws for the Executive to execute irrespective of their individual political decisions, while leaving all options open for conciliation.
Commenting on the recent gale of defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), he said it was gratifying that none of the legislators said he took the action because of the action omission President Muhammadu Buhari or his government.
“We appreciate that the entire intending defectors or aggrieved members of the APC have not defected but expressed grievances.
“But in all the grievances expressed, none is attributed or directed at President Muhammadu Buhari, nor his actions or any action or omission of the President or the Federal Government.
“In fact in my interaction pre and post expression of intent to defect, all the dramatis personae the distinguished Senators and Hon members expressed their solidarity and support for Mr. President and expressed categorically that their grievances and consequent actions are not directed against President Buhari nor his re-election bid, but domestic actors in their constituency political fields such as the Governors, State party leaders or frustration over zoning or indeed calculations for a return ticket or platform for 2019 elections.
“Indeed a great number of them have indicated that even if they pursue their bid on a different political platform they will still campaign for President Buhari for 2019 on the APC platform.”
Describing the APC as a united, strong Party, he said: “What has been done by the Distinguished Senators and Honourable members are group notice to switch camp, it is inchoate and leaves windows, doors and rooms for further consultation for resolution because our party minds and cares for all members in or out of office. And like the Holy bible enjoins, if you lose one sheep out of 100, preserve 99 and go and search for the one lost.”
