I Will Not Betray Nigerians, New Senate President, Godswill Akpabio Promised
The newly inaugurated Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday laid out what looks like an agenda setting for the National Assembly in order to move the economy and the country forward.
While congratulating, his fellow senators that have just been sworn-in, he promised to work with them for the greater benefit of the country.
He stated that he would be a Senate President that would stand for all.
He said we must begin to produce our own fuel in Nigeria; we must begin to encourage the production of Diesel and others in the country.
The Senate President told his colleagues that the country is at a crossed road as it is grambling with a lot of difficulties, drawing their attention to the fact this new administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu inherited an economy that requires renewal and revitalization.
He appealed to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) to ensure that their budgets are presented to the National Assembly on time, so that the legislators can act early enough to make sure that the budget is passed.
The Senate, he stated, will work closely with the executives to ensure all the projects that are allocated to the legislators as constituency projects scattered across the country are backed with cash so that they can be completed on time.
According to him, “The new National Assembly has discovered its mission which is that of a renewed hope for Nigerians, revitalize the economy, working closely with the executive and would not betray the people of Nigeria.”
Government, he said, is a continuum and the Senate shall therefore strengthen the legislative space in continuation of the efforts made by the 9th National Assembly
He stated that some of the things that would confront this national assembly would be gender matters, lamenting that there are not a lot of women in the National Assembly.
“We shall pay attention to people with disabilities and the vulnerable in the society, bringing actions that would engender empowerment to the youths, so that banditry and other criminal activities such as that of unknown gunmen, Boko Haram and others would not be attractive to them. We would pay attention to insecurity and others”
We would work closely with the executives so that Nigerians would be able to sleep with their two eyes closed, and ensure that they can travel by road, rail, and with other means of transportation to any part of the country without any hindrance.
We would expand legislations to improve the revenue streams of the country. Nigeria can generate more revenues which could enable it to cancel many of the debts it owes.
“The president has already said that Nigeria must produce and consume what its produces, we would do everything to assist him to achieve his mission in this direction for the prosperity of this great nation.”
“We shall have a seriously forward-looking senate which will tackle environmental issues and then bring about sustainable growth.”
The Senate must rise to the occasion of providing a legislative framework and enabling environment to anchor the policies and programmes the President espouses for the country.
Elections, he said, are over and for the 10th Senate, we are going to hit the ground running, he stated.
The Senate he stated would also look at what the states are doing because if the states are not doing well, there is no amount of work at the federal Government that would have meaning.
“To the Nigerian people, I say this, your dreams, aspiration and your well-being will be at the heart of everything that we do in these chambers and urge them to remain faithful.”
He said that if subsidy removal requires legislative backing, the Senate would give it to the President and commended him for the steps he has so far taken to remove it
