The National Assembly has been called upon to consider national interest above all other considerations in the conduct of their legislative business.
The federal legislature has also been asked to cut off its recess and resume, if only to consider President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for virement in order to successfully execute the 2019 General Elections.
In a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) said that the federal lawmakers have every reason to suspend their recess now that the calendar for the 2019 election is set go into operations.
It noted that according to the time-table released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) earlier in the year, political parties are expected to begin to collect forms for the 2019 elections from August 17, yet the National Assembly plans to be on recess till September 25.
“How do Nigerians expect INEC to kick-start processes leading to the election when federal lawmakers are busy at holiday spots across the world.
“We wonder why they have to be prevailed upon to do a duty Nigerians elected then to do,” BMO said.
The group pointed out that the period the National Assembly is meant to resume from recess is a time political activities ahead of next year elections are expected to begin.”From September 25, politicians including federal lawmakers would be in the thick of efforts to get return tickets at party primaries and may not be readily available in the Chambers, so when will they have the time to consider the request?”
BMO urged the federal legislators to toe the path of honour in national interest and set a date for consideration of President Buhari’s virement proposal and other pressing matters.
It also encourages the Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Senator Ita Enang to engage his former colleagues on the wisdom of cutting short their recess to attend to matters of urgent national importance.
