Help democracy to prosper, Senate President
tells Nigerians

The
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has urged members of the public who have
access to the media to help democracy to prosper in Nigeria by saying the
truth.

Lawan
made the appeal in his keynote address at the Conference of Presiding Officers
of the Nigerian Legislature which began in Abuja late Friday.

The
theme of the conference which is ongoing is “Public perception of the role of
Legislature: Post Legislative Scrutiny and Independence of the Legislature”.

Lawan
spoke against the backdrop of attack on federal lawmakers and misinformation
that followed the recent leakage of the roof of the National Assembly complex.

He
said it was unfair to assume that the N37 billion that was initially budgeted
for the rehabilitation of the National Assembly complex that was later slashed
to N9.2 billion had been embezzled by legislators when the money was actually
domiciled in the Federal Capital Territory budget.

“This
is one demonstration and testimony of misperception of the legislature. As I
speak, this is still going through the procurement process.

“But
you know what, when there was leakage, some of these critics and haters and
traducers of the National Assembly said the National Assembly had spent the
money. They have finished the rehabilitation. Look at what is happening. They
didn’t even care to find out what really happened. So they went to town.

“Without
this legislature, there is no democracy. The National Assembly and legislature
across the country are people’s institutions. Not members of the National
Assembly’s institution or State Assembly members’ institution. Its the public.
It’s the people.

“So,
I will always advise that members of the public, especially those minority who
have access to media should please help our democracy prosper. Tell the true
story. Inform correctly. Publicise rightly. We welcome criticisms,” he said.

The
Senate President also advised the outspoken members of the public to give
credit to the legislature when there are evidences of good performance.

“When
it comes to giving the National Assembly or the legislature credit, those who
have access to media are either too economical with their ratings or even too
blind to see very good performances by the National Assembly and the
legislature across the country.

“This
is one National Assembly that has broken so many jinxes. Last year, when we had
to pass an amendment on the Deep Offshore Production Sharing Contract Act,
Nigeria was earning only 216 million dollars before the amendment.

“With
that singular amendment, Nigeria will earn two billion dollars. And that is
something that could have been done twenty years ago but each time it came to
the National Assembly, something happened.

“It
is only in this ninth National Assembly that we defeated the demons last year
and we defeated them yesterday(Thursday). These demons are people but majority
of Nigerians who are not hard are happy with what their legislatures across the
country are doing,” Lawan said.

He
added that the Petroleum Industry Bill(PIB) that was passed on Thursday is so
central to the Nigerian economy and the lives of the people particularly the
host community in the oil producing states.

He
said the Assembly was able to pass the Bill through Legislative and Executive
cooperation and partnership.

“There
are many Nigerians who are honest but they are misled into believing that the
National Assembly, for example, every month the National Assembly members are
given N150 million. A Senator take N300 million.

“Those
of us in the legislature have this misfortune of been misunderstood,
misrepresented but for the sake of our people, we must continue to bear
everything and anything anybody will say.

“As
we all know, the legislature in constitutional democracy ensures the survival
of democracy by fulfilling the responsibilities of representation, lawmaking
and oversight.

“The
legislature has been alive to these onerous responsibilities inspite of the
enomous challenges confronting it particularly at the state level,” Lawan said