The lawmaker, who represented Adamawa South in the National Assembly, Senator Binos Yeroe, has admitted that the ninth Senate, led by Ahmad Lawan, was a rubber stamp.
The senator told the lawmakers during his valedictory speech at the plenary Saturday that he agreed with those who have labelled the 9th assembly a rubber stamp.
Yeroe noted the appoval of the N22.7trillion Ways and Means further validated the rubber-stamp accusations.
It will be recalled that despite initial resistance from lawmakers and public outcry, the Senate approved a N22.7 trillion Ways and Means advance loan collected by the former President, Muhammadu Buhari.
Yeroe said, “I agree with those who say the ninth Senate is a rubber stamp.
“Furthermore, the suspension of the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele and subjecting him to investigation is a mild indictment of the National Assembly.
“This is so because if we had done our oversight duties properly, we would not have gotten to this level.”
The Adamawa senator advised the 10th Senate to take its role as the watchdog over the Executive seriously.
Yeroe said, “I hope the 10th Senate will take its job as the Watchdog of the Executive more seriously.
“I also hope that the 10th Senate will operate and adhere to its own rules, take their rules on the procedures of the bills in rules 76, 77 and 78 for instance, that state that bills that are being read should be circulated to all senators.
“But very often, bills passed first and second reading without senators reading through them.
“I hope the 10th Senate will conduct its business more properly.”
There was, however, a mild drama when Senator Rochas Okorocha mocks Ahmad Lawan’s return to the Senate.
Okorocha said, “You (Lawan) are a very smart politician. How you came back [to the Senate] is another chapter in our political history that we need to discuss.
“I was there in the field with you running for president, I never knew how you were able to meander, leaving some of us. Next time you must teach me how to do that.”
Lawan explained that it was his constituency that actually spearheaded the court process that gave him a return ticket.
He said: “It was easy. I was there with you in the field and after our defeat, my constituents thought they needed me again.
“They asked for me to come back and it was a tortious journey because we had to go through the courts. I didn’t even appeal the judgement that did not give me the contest.
“The party and the stakeholders appealed on my behalf up to the Supreme Court; so, there is nothing critical or remarkable. In fact, you have nothing to learn from it.”
Not taking Lawan’s explanation, Okorocha said, “I want to be your student next time. It is more of ‘the more you look, the less you see.