Saraki, Dogara Seek Buhari’s Support To Fight Corruption

Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara have requested President Muhammadu Buhari’s support as the National Assembly plans to use its oversight function to fight corruption.

Saraki and Dogara, who spoke yesterday at the presentation of the 2016 budget proposal by Buhari, emphasised the expediency of the President’s support.

They said Nigerians were not favourably disposed to corruption and pledged to partner the administration in fighting the menace.

The Senate president, in his speech, said impunity perpetrated by the last administration called for a concerted effort.

His words: “It is also true that impunity and corruption thrive best when democratic safeguards for checks and balances collapse and accountability institutions abdicate their responsibilities.

“In this regard, the Eighth National Assembly intends to discharge our oversight responsibilities fully.

“I, therefore, want to implore Your Excellency to support us in this important task by ensuring that members of your government promptly respond to invitations for clarifications when they are required to do so by the National Assembly.

“If only half of the unfolding allegations regarding financial misappropriation under the previous administration are true, they would already be sufficient evidence of the dangers that we face when public officials treat accountability institutions with disdain and oversight activities with irritation.

“I am confident that your avowed commitment to the rule of law and accountability would have no accommodation for such behaviour.”

Urging Buhari to see the legislature as an ally in nation-building and the anti-graft war, the Senate president, however, reminded him of the independence of each arm of government and the need for rule of law.

“I, therefore, invite Mr. President to take advantage of this relationship, which we have not had for a couple of years, to push through some of the necessary reforms that would promote our economy.

“It is in this light that the National Assembly is also prioritising the passage of laws that further enhances our business environment and promotes accountability in governance,” Saraki said.

He assured the President that with the Eighth National Assembly, he has an ally to help him “steer the ship of state in the right direction for growth, transparency, accountability, equal opportunities, inclusion and fairness”.

On his part, Dogara said it should be of concern that only a tiny fraction of less than two per cent of the Nigerian population is corrupt and powerful.

“Also worthy of commendation is Mr. President’s anti-corruption war, which is largely the reason why the country can afford the size of today’s budget proposal.

“It is important to hold firmly to the awareness that this war against corruption is not a tea party.

“Recently, there have been orchestrations in certain sections of the media subtly discouraging prosecution of the anti-corruption war.

“These tend to focus on the methodology of the war and other sectional, partisan or even primordial considerations rather than the devastating impact of corruption on the society.

“Let me assure Mr. President that the college of Nigerians favorably disposed to corruption is a small one, terribly small.”

He added: “It will, therefore, amount to despicable failure of governance to succumb to the shenanigans of this terrible minority by subjecting the fate of the 98 per cent non-corrupt Nigerians to their sinister designs.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, this is one war that must not only be won, but must be won expeditiously and decisively if the change mantra is to deliver ultimately.

“It is a divine second chance for Nigeria to pull itself out of the vicious circle of debilitating poverty; inequality; squalor; unemployment; graft and insecurity, indeed it is the season for the enthronement of good governance.”

He also assured that the National Assembly was poised to make its oversight function more effective given the manipulations the nation’s resources are often subjected to by those responsible for managing them.

Like Saraki, the speaker also hailed the presentation of the document by the President, saying: “Indeed, change has also come to the Executive”.