•Says he won’t go to Senate to lament
By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
Former Governor of Edo State and Senator-elect, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said that the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not be interested in a rubber stamp National Assembly.
Rather, Oshiomhole pointedly declared that Tinubu’s interest will be in a National Assembly that can help to contribute to knowledge, working together and negotiating to have a win-win formula that will contribute to the dividend of democracy.
The immediate past Edo State Governor and erstwhile National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, stated these yesterday shortly after receiving his certificate of returns as Senator-elect from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Abuja.
Oshiomhole, who has been elected to represent Edo North Senatorial district in the National Assembly, promised to be part of the Senate that will legislate for the good people of the country and not for the powerful.
He assured that the 10th National Assembly will handle the issue of appropriation in a meticulous manner so that Nigerians can get value for money.
Answering questions from Journalists after collecting his certificate of returns, Oshiomhole said, “I have been the voice of the people as a textile union activist, NLC President, and Governor of Edo. “Even my choice of projects (as Governor) was done where the mass population resides.
“I will be part of the Senate that legislates for the good people of our countrymen, not for the powerful, by making sure that what we do in appropriation will be such that Nigerians get value for money.
“It is expected that the executive is powerful, but does not have absolute power, so it will be subjected to legislative check.
“We are not there (Senate) for the allowance, there are couple of things that can be done differently so that the renewed hope of our party can be translated into reality.
“Even the president-elect will not look forward to a rubber stamp Assembly, but the one that can help to contribute to knowledge as nobody has absolute knowledge, by working together and negotiating to have a win-win formula that will contribute to the dividend of democracy.
“Those issues are well captured in the APC action plan which forms the basis of our election.
“We are going to revisit the power sector. For example, because that is something that we must do to have economic growth and have a robust GDP.
“The current problem we face in the power sector was because it was meant to favour friends and relatives who know nothing about power.
“Now we have to find the courage to deal with a system that makes citizens pay bills for power they did not consume, which for me is fraud.
“Government must protect its citizens, and customers must be protected, otherwise all the energy spent to vote for Nigerians to enjoy, will not be worthwhile.
“There are couple of things we have to do differently. We still see long queues and each time I see the queues I feel agitated because I fought against these obnoxious policies when I was the President of NLC.
“We must take a radical action to ensure that the petrol we consume is refined in Nigeria.
“I will not go to the senate to lament but make a law that will be enforced. I don’t want to be in a Senate where Nigerian Police arrest someone and turn him to a criminal, while the real criminal are freed”, he declared.
