Nigerian politicians should make effort to build consensus among themselves to be selfless and work only in the interest of the country. the President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan has charged.
Lawan gave the charge at a reception organized in his honour in Abuja on Wednesday by former Governor of Abia State and Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu and his wife to mark the 63rd birthday of the Senate President.
The President of the Senate while giving a vote of thanks at the event said the kind of consensus he wants should centre around fundamental issues about the country below which none of them should go irrespective of their political affinities.
“You can’t be anything unless there is a country’
“So we must build and sustain consensus on certain fundamental issues about our country. Irreducible minimum below which nobody should go whether you’re APC, PDP, APGA or whatever you call yourselves because that will infringe on the very fabric of our country.”
According to Lawan, most successful countries have largely achieved this kind of consensus; pointing out that once voted into office there should be limits to what politicians can capitalize on for political gains.
He said the Senate under his watch was able to achieve its set target simply because of its consensus to work for the country.
“We believe this country can only be better if politicians decide to do the right things”.
Drawing comparison with previous assemblies, Lawan noted that the 9th Assembly was able to break many jinxes because of its consensus to work in harmony with the executive arms of government and avoid unnecessary bickerings that will leave ordinary Nigerian citizens at the receiving end of bad leadership.
Lawan added that those who have been around long enough can tell the difference in the stability the 9th Assembly is able to bring to the economy as well as the body polity.
Earlier, Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Gambari who delivered the goodwill message of the President to Lawan commended the leadership qualities of the President of the Senate.
He welcomed the cordial relationship between the legislature and the executive; emphasizing that the doctrine of “Separation of Power” does not mean that the legislature must constantly be in conflict with the executive arm of government.
