By Folorunso Alagbede, Abuja
Immediate past Senate President, Dr Bukola Abubakar Saraki has assured that he would bridge the gap between the National Assembly and the Executive arm of government if elected
the President of Nigeria.
Dr Saraki gave the assurance during a consultative meeting he held with members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, caucus in the House of Representatives on Tuesday night in Abuja at the residence of their Leader, Hon Ndudi Elumelu.
The former President of the Senate and presidential aspirant on the platform of PDP noted that Nigeria cannot attract investment into the country where a government elevated presidential orders above legislative interventions to strengthen the economy.
He informed the lawmakers that the experience he has garnered as a lawmaker, especially in defending the independence if the legislative institution would be sufficiently available to make the institution of the national assembly earn the respect and independence it deserved to provide suitable laws for Nigerians.
According to him, “Today the kind of debt profile that we have, is about 90% revenue debt profile, certainly government alone cannot bring us out of this mess
“The only way we can get out of this mess is by having an environment that brings in investment because the government alone cannot do it.
“We can only get out of this mess. If we have leadership that is visionary; that understands the issue and courageous.
“You cannot give what you don’t have. All of you members of the House of Representatives you are enlightened.
“You have the experience, most of you are victims of what the legislative arm of government does when it comes to executive-legislative misunderstanding. “Will you continue to be victim of leadership? Saraki asked.
He noted that the clamour for restructuring cannot work if the buy-in of the President was not secured.
He wondered how the National Assembly would have secured the cooperation of two third of the house on a bill after which a sitting President would ignore such painstaking effort.
The presidential aspirant stated that he had the choice to be a good boy and serve the interest of the party but chose to defend the institution and align with the Nigerian interest.
This, he said, cost him a lot of persecution adding however that because the 108 other members of the Senate knew the fight was against the institution, they stood in its defence.
He called on the lawmakers to lend support to his presidential quest on the party platform while assuring them that the work between the executive he would lead the national assembly would be strain-free and developmental for Nigeria.
His words, “The only reason why I was able to survive was because the 108 of us (Senators). That’s it was not just mine, it belong to all of us
“It is time that you have one of yours, leading this country. It is important for us to have a president who understands how to work with the National Assembly.
“Not to be battling everyday on executive legislative debating whether a budget is a proposal or padding, is an insult to the institution. These are issues that are so critical in moving this country forward.
He promised that his presidency would unite Nigeria and diminish the divisive tendencies of religion, region, ethnicity and others
His words: “I believe today, I can reach across the religious divide. I also connect the divide of the older and the younger. I reach across the most important divide between the private sector and the public sector, which is business.
“We can make this country better. I need you to support me to get the nomination of my party, win the election to work together, to make the government work. “Because a president that does not have support of the national Assembly cannot turn around this country.
The changes that we need to bring to this country today require the national assembly.
“Whether it is constitutional review, whether they are issues that have to do with fiscal federalism or all these issues; you look at developed democracies.
The president needs a national assembly on all these things, they mostly synergize to build the nation,” Saraki stressed.
