Senate Presidency: Lawan Promises 21st Century Leadership
The Senator representing Yobe North
Constituency, Senator Ahmad Lawan of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has promised
to provide 21st Century leadership for the Nigerian Senate if
elected as the Senate President of the 8th National Assembly.
Sen. Lawan said his 16 years’
experience in both the Green and Red Chambers of the National Assembly would
aid him to provide the needed leadership.
“I have what it takes to be the
Senate President,” he said. “As someone who has spent the last 16 years in the
National Assembly - working in the House of Representatives as a member, having
being a senator for the last eight years and having chaired the Public Accounts
Committee for the last eight years - I think I know a lot about our economic
situation and what we need to do to turn around our economy.
“I want to provide 21st
Century leadership for the Senate. A leadership that will work with all the
segments of senators in the chamber. A leadership that will ensure that we have
bipartisan approach to our issues and make sure we work with the executive arm
of government in a manner that protects our independence and makes good governance
possible.”
Sen. Lawan spoke at a media parley
with political editors. He promised to ensure that, if elected, he believes he
would bring his record of incorruptibility and credibility to the office of the
Senate President.
“I believe Nigeria needs incorruptible
administration,” Sen. Lawan said. “The President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, was
elected on the basis of three major issues. First is his clear stance against
corruption. Secondly, to fight insurgency. And thirdly, to address the economy that
has become comatose. I believe that I can complement the anti-corruption fight
of the President-elect.”
Sen. Lawan added that his experience
in public accounting and finance would be of immense advantage to the nation as
it strives to diversify the economy, plug leakages and stop the embezzlement of
public funds.
“In the last 16 years, I have
worked with three Speakers in the House of Representatives and the current Senate
President. I have closely watched these presiding officers conduct the affairs
in the two chambers. That is invaluable experience. I have worked very well across party lines in
both houses. I am a team player and can work with others across the aisle. We
need to build and sustain consensus between the different political parties.”
He said the Nigerian budget must
work for Nigerians, indicating that spendings must be pro-poor.
“The Senate that I will lead must
take the lead to balance the budget. Even if it will be in phases, we must move
away from the current situation where we have an overwhelming expenditure on
recurrent to something more pro-poor, pro-people.”
The Senator from Yobe, who has
secured the endorsement of two caucuses in the Senate, the North East and South
West caucuses, promised to run a fair campaign. He said the issue of zoning was
for the party to deal with, assuring Nigerians that whomever emerges as the
Senate President from the APC would be worthy of the title.
SOURCE:DailyPost Nigeria
