Saraki Ignores Questions About Ndume

Ndume was suspended for six months for moving a motion that Saraki and Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, be investigated based on some allegations leveled against them.

 

Saraki said there was need for mutual respect among the different arms of government,after John Oyegun, chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led the party’s national working committee (NWC) to the senate on Tuesday

“Let us focus on national issues,” he said in response to the question on Ndume.

On the NWC’s visit, he said, “Whether there are issues or not, regular consultations between the legislative arm of government and the party is important.

“It is unfortunate, but the most important thing is that a lot of stakeholders must respect this institution. This institution is here now and is going to be there after now. So, we should not allow our selfish interests to bring ridicule to the institution. The institution is what we have and we must ensure that we respect that.”

He said the senate would not relent in carrying out its constitutional duties, adding that “as I said yesterday, some of these issues are not important to our people.

“The important issues are issues of budget. Despite all the noise you heard last week, we still passed an amendment to the INEC law that had been there for over six or seven years.

“By this time next week, our committee on petroleum will lay the PIB which has never been done. We are focused on the major issues and we are not going to be distracted on that. We are still going to do our work.

“Today we were talking about meningitis, looking at how we are going to find funding for that. So, none of these issues are distracting us from that and I think we have shown that over the last few weeks.”

On his part, Oyegun called for a ceasefire between the  legislature and executive over the recent misunderstanding  between them.

He asked  for  mutual respect between the various arms of government to ensure sustainable development.

“One appeal I have to make that it is necessary is for all levels of government to maintain some level of respect and civility,” he said.

“And I appeal  that as we start now the process of reconstructing relationships and consultations.

“There should be what I will call a ceasefire in terms of the kind of abuse that is used all round on one institution of government or the other even principal parties of these institutions.”