As the National Assembly resumes plenary on Tuesday after two months of annual recess, the Senate President Bukola Saraki has called on senators to work in harmony with the Executive arm of government in order to restore confidence in the nation’s economy and end the hardship in the country.
Saraki, who acknowledged the hardship Nigerians experience daily, said the solution lies in the dedication of the leadership.
While emphasising the need for urgent solution to the current economic situation, the Senate President asked senators to resist the temptation of trading blames saying that will not solve the present economic challenges.
‘’It is clear to me that when people are desperately hungry, what they need is leadership with a clear vision; leadership whose daily actions reflects the very urgency of the people’s condition. Therefore, our response to the current challenge must be dictated by the urgency of the hardship that the people suffer on a daily basis,” he said.
“But in having this debate we must resist the temptation of drowning the debate with apportioning blames that will neither bring solutions to the problem nor reduce the cost of rice, maize or oil in the market. Rather this debate must be solution-driven; it must be people-oriented and less political,” he cautioned the senators.
He asked them to be guided by the need to end hunger, save businesses from collapse and how to restore the value of Nigeria’s currency.
‘’Distinguished colleagues, the simple question for our debate must be; how do we tame the widespread hunger in the land? How do we save our businesses from collapse? How do we save jobs for the majority and create even a lot more? Only a few months ago, Naira was exchanging to the dollar at N200; today it is approaching N500.
‘’How do we arrest this drift so that our businesses can compete and our children can go to school wherever they may find opportunities? These and many more are questions in desperate need for answers. Unfortunately, the answers to all these questions are not easy. But we must ask them all the same. Because these are the questions Nigerians are asking and, they need us to justify our leadership by providing answers to them’’ he said.
