Politicians want senate tackle more important issues

Some politicians on Monday advised the senate to give attention to enacting laws that would improve the lives of Nigerian instead of spending time on less important issues.

The politicians told our correspondent in interviews that some issues being pursued by the senate were not important to the average Nigerian.

They spoke against the backdrop of the senate’s investigation of Sen. Dino Melaye’s academic qualification and its request for resignation of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali.

Alhaji Musa Umar, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Kano State Chapter, expressed dissatisfaction with the activities of the senate in recent times.

“Issues that are of no importance are brought to the front burner in the legislature at the expense of urgent and sensitive matters.

“Nigerians should condemn this,’’ Umar said.

The National Chairman of National Conscience Party, Dr Yunusa Tanko, appealed to the upper legislative chamber to come up with bills that would tackle Nigeria’s socio-economic problems.

He noted that the recession of the economy was biting hard on the masses and that enactment of relevant laws should be of interest to the legislators.

Prof. Oluremi Sonaiya, the 2015 Presidential Candidate of KOWA Party, said that she was not satisfied with the performance of the senate in recent times.

“I hope Nigerians are watching and taking note of the happenings in the senate,’’ she said.

Sonaiya called on the lawmakers to make good governance their primary concern.

The 2015 Presidential Candidate of National Conscience Party, Chief Martin Onovo, also criticised the senate.

“The legislature represents the people and must defend its constitutional authority,’’ Onovo said.

Chief Ola Apena, the Deputy Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, however, said that the issues being attended to by the senate were important.

“Issues about Ibrahim Magu, comptroller-general of Customs and Dino Melaye are no flippant issues. They are all serious issues, as important as the budget.

“The major challenges confronting our nation are absence of institutions and institutional norms needed for nation-building,’’ Apena said.

He noted that Magu was screened twice by the senate and that, on each occasion, the Department of State Services wrote an indicting report against him.

According to Apena, senators should not be blamed for not confirming Magu as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

“They have simply done their job,’’ he said.

Apena also said that Melaye’s certificate issue needed to be addressed.