By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Apparently unhappy over public criticisms of the National Assembly (NASS) by Nigerians especially the elites, Senator Ajibola Basiru (APC Osun Central), has challenged those questioning their representatives to contest for elective offices in 2023.
Basiru who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity also dismissed with the wave of the hand the call for NASS members to meet virtually, arguing that it is not in their place to decide the mode of sitting.
Speaking on Channels Television breakfast programme ‘Sunrise Daily’ on the topic: 2021 National Assembly Performance, on Tuesday, Basiru insists that NASS especially the Senate of Federal Republic of Nigeria has done well in the year under review.
According to him: “the National Assembly especially the Senate has done well. We have served our constituents well.
Only the elites who sit in the comfort of their houses in Lekki (Lagos) and Maitama and Asokoro (Abuja) to criticise the National Assembly criticize us”.
Asked if the NASS members have a feedback mechanism to constantly gauge the mood of the people they are representing or ask them what they really want, Basiru who became visibly agitated said they do.
Said he: “We go to our Constituency to get feedback. As elected members of NASS we presume we have the mandate of our people to represent them, speak on their behalf on national issues”.
Probed further by the anchors if the 109 Senators regularly go back to their constituents to obtain their mandate to either support or decline on issues that touch on the people like the Electronic Transmission of Election Results contained in the new Electoral Act Amendment Bill which has been returned to NASS by President Muhammadu Buhari, Basiru replied with another question.
Said he: “The logical explanation is if you ask me question in Channels Television now I should go back to Oshogbo to tell my people before answering the questions? No. This is not how it works. They have given us the mandate and we speak and act on their behalf until the next four years”.
On why the Senate did not meet the number of days enshrined in its rule books in 2021 after it sat for only 67days thereby breaking its rule, the Senate Spokesman said “If people is quarreling over it so be it”.
Explaining further he said the reduction in the number of days the Senate sat in 2021 was because of the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, adding that “the pandemic like in other spheres of our lives affected the operation of the legislature”.
On why the Senate did not meet virtually like the Executive and Judicial arms of government, Basiru said the Nigerian Senate can’t seat virtually because it’s not on its rules.
Ask if NASS is doing something towards Virtual Sitting in the face of the present and future pandemic, he said they are not thinking of it for now.
“For now we do not have provision for virtual seating in both chambers.
Members are not in the bureaucracy of the National Assembly”.
