Lawan: Cold Relationship Between Executive, Legislature Won’t Help Nigeria

Lawan: Cold Relationship Between Executive, Legislature Won’t Help Nigeria
Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, at the weekend, stated that strained relationship between both the executive and legislative arms of government would not do the nation any good.
This was coming as he assured that the Ninth National Assembly was poised to work for a positive change in the country.

Apparently referring to the cold relationship that existed between the legislature and executive in the Eighth Assembly, the Senate President, who was addressing his constituents in Yobe State, explained that everybody has seen how unhelpful it’s to have a rancorous relationship between the executive and the legislature.
He said Nigeria would be the better for it if there’s good relationship between the Executive and Legislature based on mutual respect.
“We don’t want to fight on partisan basis. It won’t help anyone. We are also determined to work with the executive arm of government because when we work together, Nigerians benefit better,” Lawan said.
The Ninth National Assembly, he added, has been working assiduously as a team to bring change to Nigeria, noting that “we want to work as a team in the National Assembly without recourse to our different political platforms.”
“We have APC (All Progressives Congress), PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) and YPP (Young Progressive Party) in the Senate. We are working together as a team and our goal is to do what will make Nigeria better.
“Today, members of the National Assembly stay in the complex up to midnight, working on 2020 budget. We are determined to pass the 2020 budget before the end of the year by the Grace of God. This, we believe, will bring better economic environment for our people when the budget implementation starts from January instead of June,” Lawan said.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his timely presentation of the budget and his directive to government officials, making it mandatory for them to defend their budget estimates before the National Assembly committees.
According to him, “This shows clear commitment and it also shows clearly that we are working together with the executive in a very seamless and cordial manner for the benefit of Nigerians.
“We will continue to do that because what Nigerians expect is provision of services to them. That is why they elected all of us.”
Meanwhile, the Senate President also at the weekend flagged off free medical outreach for 800 people and mass animal vaccination in his Yobe North Senatorial district in Yobe State.
The medical services included free eye services, surgical services, gynecological checking and surgeries for families. Also included were free veterinary services such as mass animal vaccination for cattle, sheep and goats and treatment and care for sick animals.
Speaking at the flag off ceremonies held in four centres including his native home Gashua in Bade and Nguru local government areas of Yobe State, Lawan said similar intervention took place last year August.
“We did not want to repeat it this year because we had hoped that our people would have overcome the challenges, but we still have so many more that are facing those challenges. So long there are people with those challenges, we will continue to intervene by the Grace of God,” he added.
Lawan said the target for this year was to attend to 400 patients who are seriously in need of the intervention but he was later informed that there are almost 800 people who have already been screened and would require the intervention but half of whom were asked to come back next year because the target was 400.
“Now I want to inform this gathering that all those that have been screened and found to be really in need of the surgery would be accommodated. We will be intervening for almost 800 patients this year by the grace of God. We pray that at the end of the day we have a successful surgery on those patients,” Lawan said.
He noted that the ultimate way out towards addressing the shortcomings in the health sector is institutional building, saying “I believe that we need to do more by institutional building. That is, to build our hospitals. To build the capacity of the personnel in the hospitals so that this kind of treatment doesn’t have to come from any individual.”

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