Senate President Ahmad Lawan says the cordial, smooth and mutually beneficial relationship that exists between the Ninth National Assembly and the executive arm of government made many view the federal lawmakers as being pliant and amenable.
He stated that the commitment to have a robust relationship with the executive has led many Nigerians to conclude that it is a rubber stamp.
He explained that the Ninth Senate was wary of the damaging effect of incessant conflict with the executive and its impact on legislative activities.
“However, we were equally aware that a good working relationship is desirable and indeed imperative to achieve effective and efficient service delivery to the people,” the senator noted.
Lawan added, “Hence, under my leadership, the Ninth National Assembly adopted a friendly but professional approach to executive-legislative relations. This was focused on a harmonious working relationship based on mutual respect, consultation, cooperation, collaboration and partnership.”
The Senate president stressed that “this approach to engaging with the executive has led to a misperception and misunderstanding, which has led many to tag the Ninth National Assembly as a ‘rubber stamp’ assembly.”
Yet, Mr Lawan insisted that “our intention in preferring an engagement with the executive based on harmony and collaboration has been to better serve Nigeria by providing a safe atmosphere for national development.”
According to him, the Ninth Senate had performed exceedingly well regarding the number and quality of bills introduced, passed and assented to.
Meanwhile, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has urged lawmakers-elect of the 10th National Assembly to engage in discourse that must be unimpeachable.
While congratulating the members on their electoral victory, Mr Gbajabiamila called on them to justify the offices held by the quality of endeavours in that office.
“For those of us in the legislature, this means that the quality of our law-making and advocacy, the excellence of our constituency services, the thoroughness of our oversight activities and the substance of our discourse in the chamber must be unimpeachable,” stated the speaker.